Twilight Paths Cross
by maneatingbananas
Summary: Aragorn and Legolas meet for the first time, striking a tentative friendship. Together they face the evil threatening to destroy Mirkwood and themselves. First fanfic and FINISHED
1. Storm clouds

Summary: Aragorn and Legolas meet for the first time, strikinga tentative friendship. Together they must battle the forces of evil to save Mirkwood from a terrible fate.

Disclaimer: Lets just cut to the cheese; I don't own any of these characters except the ones you do not recognize and J.R.R. Tolkien gets all of the credit, not me.

I would just like to say that I didn't follow the books completely so don't nag on me. (but I know fine people like you would never do that) :)

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_"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do." _

_-Epictetus

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_Crunch._ Aragorn's first steps out of the gates of Rivendell crackled the golden and auburn leaves on the ground. He pulled back on the reins and stared unconfortably at the path ahead of him. It looked different now, almost threatening. For a moment he wondered which path he ought to take. But healready knew in his heart where he was going andhe reined towards the left and trotted down the path at a brisk pace. Aragorn found himself imprinting every detail of his surroundings that he could press because the ominous voice inside of him reminded him that he may never be able to come back.

>

"Where will you go?" Elrond had asked him as he slid his sword into its sheath and packed the last of his traveling provisions.

"I don't know." He had admitted. "Far away though." He had then given his elf brothers quick hugs and then the elven family that had taken him in watched him ride away.

>

The sun sliced the pale blue sky and the birds sang in the trees above him as dew glistened like gems on the blades of grass but Aragorn was to lost in thought to appreciate this beautiful morning.

His heart squeezed painfully in his chest as he recalled the last hunting trip between the twins and him which had taken place the day before. "It is not the last time we will go hunting," Elrohir had said bemusedly at his owndejected state as they headed back to Imladris in the evening. Right now he wanted to believe those words so badly.

Nobody in Imladris had wanted to see him leave but in his heart he knew it was time. It was time to hide the promise that lay within him because he chose the life of exile. Aragorn wanted to become a ranger and see the forests of Mirkwood to the plains of Rohan. Maybe then could he escape his destiny of becoming King.

He had learned so much from his foster elf family and would always eternally owe them his gratitude. In Rivendell, his home Aragorn had learned skills of healing and fighting. Knowing that he could put his new skills to use and someone else's aid he had decided to leave. Aragorn was going to make his way to Mirkwood for he had often heard Lord Elrond speak fondly of King Thranduil and his son.

As Aragorn rode his mind wandered to Arwen Undomiel. He had only set eyes upon the fair lady once and yearned for the pleasure to see her again. She had been so beautiful he had mistaken her for Luthien Tinuviel. He was still unsure whether or not he had just strayed into a dream. Aragorn had been breathless with wonder and Arwen Evenstar had been polite as if she were talking to an excited child showing a frog or bug he had caught. The piercing look that Arwen had given him had haunted as she told him that she was gifted with the life of the eldar. He had been foolish enough in front of her to believe that she could fall for him as he had fallen for her. He hadn't seen her since. It lightened Aragorn's heart at even the thought of her. Maybe, just maybe the pleasure would be bestowed upon him to rest eyes on her someday.

* * *

"Patrol the western borders of our realm and eliminate anyone who isn't an elf or friend." 

"Yes ada," Legolas said as he stood in front of his father's throne with his golden head bowed.

"We can spare only three warriors to take on this patrol."

Legolas swallowed and looked up into the face of his adar, searching for guidance, comfort or anything fatherly but all he saw was the cold hard, emotionless stare of King Thranduil. "Butadathe woods aren't what they used to be! You cannot just send three warriors on patrol when their are spiders, orcs and Iluvatar knows what else out there-"

"Legolas don't argue with your King."

"Yes, _my lord," _Legolas said through gritted teeth, turned on his heel and stalked out of his father's presence, seeping with anger.

Walking through the stone corridor, his head swimming with emotions, Legolas let out a shaky sigh.

Mirkwood had been incredibly dangerous lately. The spiders were becoming much more agressive and several elves had been killed. Darkness had exstinguished all the grandness and splendor of how it had been. Greenwood the Great was gone and he had accepted it rather slowly but his Thranduil had not accepted it at all. The forest was still beautiful in its dark mysterious way and it was his home but still he could not help seeing how it would be more reasonable to have a larger party of elves.

He and his father had never been on good terms. It just seemed like sometimes they could feel like father and son and then something would slip or pull this way or that and Legolas would feel like a stranger. Sure Legolas loved his father as all family members have a somewhat bond of love even if they can't express it. What hurt Legolas though was that King Thranduil seemed to love his beloved kingdom and wealth even more than his one and only son.

Legolas stopped by the kitchens and saidfarewell to the chef, Faelwen. Faelwen had always been the mother that Legolas had never had. She had cared for Legolas since he was an elfling; slipping him snacks when he was hungry and comforting him when he was sad. As he told her what his father had said he couldn't help noticing the odd look she gave when

She handed him Lembas and other elf food to take and he thanked her and bid her farewell; not after a warm hug from her though.

He had once asked her what his father had been like when he was young, for she had been serving the king since he was an elfling.

_'Your father was just like you when he was young; full of happiness and very mischievous but he also felt the weight of his title and duties. He loved his kingdom and his subjects and just about everyone. When he came back from the war though, after the defeat of Sauron he had been changed. A coldness and seemed to devour him and he would no longer laugh or smile. The simple pleasures in life were gone and I could see inside he was in pain.It was what happened to all of the elves returning from that horrible battle. Seeing their kin fall beside them would always haunt them. The ice had seemed to melt when Thranduil met your naneth. But when thelady died it left Thranduil as cold and hurt as ever. If you were to ever leave him, my child, it would be the end of our King.'_

Legolas replayed those words over and over in his head constantly, trying to make himself believe it. All he saw in his father's eyes now was greed. Thranduil loved his kingdom but he certainly didn't love his subjects. There were times when Legolas could see thatThranduil thought of them as mere chess pieces to do his bidding.

He deeply wished he had known his mother. She had died of an arrow wound from an orc when he was very young. He could still make out her musical laughter and her flowing golden hair and he would never let go. Never...

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Faelwen sighed as she watched his retreating figure. _He seems so alone and distant now... Just like his father, _a voice whispered in her head.

Faelwen was a very ancient and wise elf and she could see the young prince's heart harden slowly but surely. Shaking her head in sadness she turned and began back to her duties.

* * *

The journey to Mirkwood took about four days in good time. Rain splattered down on him as Aragorn traveled on the open meadows. It grew heavier until the air was filled with the roar of rain. Up ahead was a forest that would shelter him and he urged his horse Avari into a swift canter. 

Aragorn dismounted and peered out into the pouring rain. Thunder rolled above him and darkness began to fall like a curtain. Deciding to spend the night in the forest, he made a fire and sat warming his hands. In the lonely quietness Aragorn found himself wishing that Elladan and Elrohir were with him to lighten this lonely evening.

He reached in his saddle pack and instantly drew back his hand. Groaning he plunged his hand into the bag and pulled out a little, harmless, hissing snake. That would be one of the twins's pranks. What was the other? Chuckling to himself he reflected on just before he left he had placed anumber ofinsects and slugs in each of the twins beds under their sheets. Right about now the twins would climb into their beds and thebugs would be spaced out all over the inside of their sheets. They weren't going to forget him in a hurry.

Aragorn grabbed a piece of lembas out of his pack and took a small bite out of it, chewing it slowly and thoughtfully; retracing all of the paths of Imladris in his head.

* * *

"Prince Legolas." 

'Oh no,' Legolas thought miserably.

"Prince Legolas," the sing song voice continued annoyingly.

Legolas wheeled around. "WHAT!"

The two elves he was glaring at didn't seem taken back at all but smiled evily.

Sellion and Morcion; the two most bullying,malicious elves in Mirkwood. For some reason they hated Legolas and their life's sole purpose was to make his life miserable.

"The most noble King," Sellion said ina nasally voice, "_commands _us to accompany you on the patrol. I'm placing my bet though, thatThranduil just thinks youcan't get the jobdone by yourself, of course we think so too." The brothers snickered.

Ever since Legolas had been an elfling these two brothers had made his life terrible. He had always just ignored them but now he wastrapped with them for a week and he was in such a bad mood already. They were both poor with weapons and would be little help if they met something dangerous which Legolas was sure they would.

Sellion's and Morcion's favorite past times were most likely insulting him childishly.Even thoughthey would continually jeer Legolas had never taken it seriously andhe was not going to sinkdown totheir level. Dozens of times when they had beensmall, Sellion had beaten him when nobody was looking and had asked if he was such a coward he would run and tell. Legolas he always refused to be a weak, had always tried to be strong. Now the much older version of Sellion with occasional help from his brother would take any opportunity to show Legolas up and hurt himso it had become imperative for him to keep on his toes when they were around although he wasa muchmore skilled warrior than both ofthem together. It was his defense nonetheless.Staying alert for danger was what he as good at, for survival in a forest like this demanded those skills all the time.

He could hear them talking behind him as he walked and he tried not to listen but it was impossible at the volume their voices had reached.

"Say brother, do you remember Legolas's naneth. I know why Legolas is always trying to prove himself. He feels like he has to be strong because weakness runs in his blood. Alas his naneth was incredibly weak since she couldn't even live through an arrow wound-"

For the first time with this childish game Legolas's patience finally snapped. He had been sent over the edge. He whipped around and had drawn his dagger concealed in his tunic in a flash. Pointing it at them and shaking in frustration as hundreds of years of anger poured out.

"Don't you ever insult my family again, or you will regret it," he hissed.

Morcion eyed the dagger warily.

"As if you would have the courage to use that on us," Sellion pushed himself in front of Morcion.

Legolasopened his mouth then shut it again, not wanting to waste his time on the brothersand hurried away to pack.

* * *

Aragorn softly sang the song Luthien Tinuviel. It had always been a favorite of his. Giving him hope somewhere in a region of his heart that a mortal and a beautiful being of far more supremacy could both fall in love. 

He eyed the dying embers in his fire and was just about to get up for some more wood when suddenly he heard his horse whinny in fear.

Glowing eerily in the fire light was the eyes of a huge animal. Aragorn leapt up and stared into the yellow eyes. The creature growled and stepped out of the shadows revealing a massive body of brown fur and long yellow teeth. A Warg.

Aragorn silently groaned; his sword was carelessly strewn on the ground over by his horse which was rearing and snorting nervously. He would have tomove towards the beast to reach his sword. He walked slowly and cautiously towards his horse and towards the Warg. It only crouched there, growling threateningly and drooling. Aragorn breathed a small side of relief when he came to a stop beside his sword. He bent over and reached out his arm to pick it up slowly...

Suddenly the Warg leapt from the brush with ferocious howl. It pounced on him right as he turned and flashed his sword upwards. The sword grazed the wargs shoulder and it leapt back snarling. Aragorn scrambled to his feet and it leaped again. This time he was ready for it and he jumped to the side and brought his sword down on its other shoulder. The Warg howled and slashed out with its claws. Aragorn felt the razor sharp claws rake his leg but he brought his sword down again this time on the top of the beast's neck. The Warg screamed and threw itself on Aragorn, knocking him over. Aragorn felt hot breath on his neck and with strength he didn't know he possessed he raised the Warg up with his legs as its jaws snapped inches away from his neck. He could feel the Warg's claws scratching his arm and legs and he punched it hard in the nose. Using the few valuable seconds he had from stunning the Warg he whipped out a small dagger from its sheath on his waist and stuck it into the Wargs throat. Blood spurted out all over him as it screamed and howled. Aragorn pushed into the dagger with all the strength he could muster. The Warg fell limp and was dead.

Aragorn pushed the dead Warg off of him and ran over to soothe his frightened horse. He murmured softly in elvish to Avari and the horse quieted.

Once his horse had settled down completely Aragorn walked over to the carcass. It was obviously a wild or it would have bore the sign of orcs. The smell would probably attract other beasts.

Aragorn picked up his sword and stomped out the smoldering fire. He swung back on his horse and they stood still listening for a moment. The dark empty silence was only to be pierced by wild howls in the night...

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Well, hope you guys liked it. Sorry it was kind of dull in the beginning of this chapter. I was having serious writer's block which is never good at the beginning of a story. This chapter was 5 pages so I think that in the future the chapter's will be a bit shorter. Please tell me what you thought but be kind. No flames please. This is my first fanfic and I really want to improve my writing. 


	2. Darkness

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Faelwen, Avari the horse, and Sellion and Morcion-gotta hate those guys-and maybe some future characters I make up,and I bow down to the genius Tolkien who created this amazing stuff. **

**Thanks to my lovely reviewers! You rock guys :) **

**Thanks to: QueenofFlarmphgal, silverkonekotsukari, Slayer3, Masterarcher, Bill the Pony2, Amethyst Priestess, LEGOLAS' lady 101, Yanzen Uroloki and silverkitcat. **

**Thank you so much guys, it feels really great to get a bunch of supportive reviews that help my writing and inspire me to keep up at this story. **

**Notes: **

**-To all of you guys: I promise Legolas and Aragorn will meet soon, just can't tell you when! **

**-Also I will try, I repeat I will try asin attempt to update every week. I'm trying to get used to all of my classes and hw in school plus sports so I'm pretty tied up right now. **

**Redleef: You are most definitely right. I know that I knew that at some point in timebut I just wasn't using my brain (like usual) so I didn't think twice when I pulled that off of a website. **

**Bill the Pony2: Thanks for the advice. I understand each one of the tips you gave me and I am trying not to make those mistakes again. :) **

**LEGOLAS' lady 101: Wow, I'm flattered...! thx :) **

**thx guys!**

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**_Strength does not come from physical capacity, it comes from indomitable will. _**

**_-Mahatma Gandi_ **

"Oww," Aragorn hissed as the jolt of falling out of his saddle and meeting the unforgiving ground unpleasantly snapped him awake from his doze. He tiredly picked himself up from the ground and struggled back onto his horse that just nickered at him laughingly.

Last night had been one of the longest nights of his life. All night he had been haunted by the glowing eyes and snarling of creatures. He had ridden the whole night without even blinking his eyes. Aragorn knew how extremely lucky he was not to have run into more wild beasts that roamed the woods.

If he had ever wished that Elladan and Elrohir were with him he had really wished they were here with him now. He dearly missed the twin's jokes and Elrond's reassurance and comfort in him. They were his family and he would always think of them as brothers and a father.

Aragorn had treated his nasty deep scratches and cuts but they still stung horribly whenever he moved. Using his skills that Elrond had taught him he had prevented his minor injuries from infection by using a small amount of his herb supply and bandaging the worst of the cuts. He could still hear Elrond lecturing him about the properties of herbs and 'the art of healing', now for the first time he was extremely glad he had listened.

The sun shone brightly on him, slowly drying out his clothes and provisions from the rainy night before and seemed to rekindle his spirit and strength.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

The whole day he traveled through the mountains with nothing eventful happening and for that he was grateful.

Aragorn found a rock overhang shelter to sleep in that evening. The huge boulders jutted out of the ground and from the ceiling of the overhang like a shield, creating a reassuring sense of safety.

Aragorn had a restful night there and then set out strong and in high spirits the next morning.

* * *

Legolas followed the deer with his arrow notched and pointing directly at its heart. 

_Just a little closer..._

TWANG went his bow string and the deer jerked its head up as it heard the sound and fell dead a split second later with an arrow embedded in its heart.

Legolas leaped down lightly from the tree he had been concealed in and walked towards the fallen deer. He expertly removed the arrow and supported the heavy weight of the animal over his shoulder.

He didn't enjoy killing animals but it was something that just had to be done to eat and stay healthy from the protein found in meat.

Sellion and Morcion were crouched by the fire as he wandered back into their makeshift camp with the deer.

"Finally!" Morcion exlaimed overdramatically, pretending as if he had just spotted Legolas.

"I'm surprised you actually shot this one, Thranduilion," Sellion said mildly as he examined the deer.

"Or did it just bump into you while you were walking down the path?"

Legolas just ignored them and skinned the deer quickly while the brothers watched.

They were in the middle of Mirkwood and making good time to reach the western border. There they would patrol for about three or four days on the border.

All three of them ended their supper satisfied and not even Sellion or Morcion had anything negative to say.

Legolas unrolled his bedroll and lay down early than he usually slept. _I'm in the woods where I belong... _His last thought was before drifting off peacefully to sleep, but little did he know what he would face the next day...

* * *

_There it is._

After a morning and afternoon of riding at a steady pace Aragorn had reached Mirkwood. The trees loomed up like a solid wall of green and shadow. He urged his horse forward and Avari gingerly stepped onto the path that ran through the forest. Not a bird singing or any animal could be heard. If Aragorn could use any word to describe this forest the word would be 'gloomy'.

As they picked their way down the shadowy path the trees seemed to close in behind them and they were trapped in darkness. Aragorn stole one last glance behind him at the hole of sunlight in the beginning of the trail turned a bend and it was swallowed up by trees.

His horse snorted nervously and Aragorn had to admit that this wasn't quite the forest he had expected. A ray of sunlight was lucky to beam through the dense dome of trees above.

Without warning something burst out of the bushes in front of him. Aragorn's horse whinnied and reared as he looked wildly around.

It was just a raven, probably startled from their activity on the trail. Aragorn whispered to his horse and chided himself for also spooking at the harmless bird. This forest was giving him the chills.

The air was stuffy and hot, making it almost difficult to breathe compared to out in the open meadow where Aragorn had just been. As he traveled deeper down the path, he noticed unusually thick spider webs weaved among the trees and bushes. Aragorn felt the back of his mind fill with dread of meeting one of these spiders but he tried to push it away and think of more joyful things.

As he rounded a sudden bend in the path, up ahead was a bridge. Crossing it with no problem he looked down at the water as he passed. It was the darkness water he had ever seen. He breathed a sigh of relief as he left the black water behind him and continued on deeper into the heart of Mirkwood.

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?" Legolas hissed as he helplessly surveyed the scene in front of him. 

Sellion was standing in front of him with a dagger pointed at his heart. Morcion was triumphantly holding Legolas's weapons that he had just seized.

Legolas himself was caught in a spider's web that he had been pushed into by none other than the brothers themselves. He had been walking purposely around the 'for now' abandoned web and a brother who had been following close behind him,-most likely Sellion since he was always the leader, shoved him into the web. Legolas had been immediately helpless because instantly Morcion had snatched his bow and arrows and knives. Sellion had tangled him even more deeply in the web and then had drawn out a dagger that he had then in turn threatened Legolas with.

"Everyone knows that the King wouldn't survive long if you perished," Sellion sneered.

"I say that it's time for change in Mirkwood's rulers. Soon, when there are better leaders, Greenwood the Great will be 'great' once more!"

"Your brain has got to be the size of an acorn," Legolas snorted, "what makes you think that out of all the elves in Mirkwood, you two would be chosen to rule?"

Sellion's faced turned a dangerous shade of purple and he pressed the dagger against Legolas's neck, drawing a few droplets of blood.

"Won't it be a shame when the handsome, charming prince of Mirkwood dies tonight..."

Legolas felt the building pressure of the dagger leave his throat as Sellion turned to face his brother.

"Well Morcion, at least we will be able to have something to _find,_" he said, indicating the weapons," and bring back to our poor King..."

"Well we better be getting back home to break the bad news my prince." Morcion turned towards Legolas once more.

"Wouldn't want to be here when the wolves or spider's or whatever beast that kills you shows up," he added before turning away, followed by his brother and out of sight.

Legolas struggled in vain against the web. Darkness was falling and he was in the middle of Mirkwood which was the wildest and most dangerous. Sellion was right: whatever beast that lived around here would be returning soon. He couldn't bear the thought of never seeing the stars or his friends or even his father again. He had to get out and avenge Sellion and Morcion before they did something even more stupid and dangerous. There just seemed to be no possible way to untangle himself from the web on his own. Legolas closed his eyes and bowed his head. _Iluvatar help me,_ he thought desperately as the hopelessness of this situation gripped him fully.

He opened his eyes and looked up, paralyzed with fear as many glowing eyes stared right back at him, drawing closer and closer in the darkness...

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**A/N: Cliffhanger! haha!**


	3. Decisions

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing so don't sue me.**

**A/N: see end of chapter for my notes- srry this chapter was late.**

**_It is our choices that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities._**

**_Can anybody guess who this quote is from? (it's not from Lord of the Rings)_**

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Legolas opened his eyes and looked up, paralyzed with fear as many glowing eyes stared right back at him, drawing closer and closer in the darkness. The creature stopped but was still hidden by the shadows. That was the moment that Legolas was finally able to tear his eyes away and regain his senses. The dagger was still concealed in his tunic! He desperately strained to reach for the weapon but he could not bring either hand close enough to grasp it. Suddenly his keen hearing picked up a sound. He paused and listened, reluctantly turning away from the stationary beast in the shadows. There it was again! Somebody was traveling not to far away. Legolas could hear the dull sound of the horse's hooves on the dirt path. This had to be either an elf or an unwelcome traveler but that didn't matter now. 

"HELP!" Legolas shouted at the top of his lungs in the common tongue. Then for good measure he shouted help in elvish.

A twig snapped and he whipped his head around to see the creature emerge out of the shadows. It was a gigantic spider.

"What have I caught in my web tonight?" It hissed as its pinchers clicked to each word.

Legolas felt panic rising in him and he thrashed around the web but it was just too strong and sticky.

"Ahh, it's an elf. Mighty tasty they are and I have not had one in years and years. But nay we are not supposed to eat the wood elves."

As the spider argued with itself Legolas heard crashing through the undergrowth of the forest and knew that help may very well be coming.

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Aragorn had been trudging along the path astride his horse and was scouting for an ideal place to rest that night when his sharp hearing picked up a stricken call for help. Without hesitation he wheeled his mount towards the sound of the voice, but the forest was like a sturdy wall and too thick for a horse to pick through.

After tethering his horse to a tree he raced off the path and towards where he had heard the sound. It was incredible how much vegetation was in Mirkwood. Aragorn had to peel through an endless maze of trees and bushes and large, tattered cobwebs. It had come without uncertainty to rush to whoever was in jeopardy and not one of his steps faltered as he bounded towards where he was sure the person was...

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Legolas could now plainly hear his rescuer running towards where he was and he roared another 'help' once more.

The spider had now clearly made up its small mind to eat him and it clicked its pinchers with anticipation as it crept forward.

He couldn't hear footsteps any more. _That person should be here by now!_ Legolas thought with a whole new rush of panic clutching his chest. _What if they are going in the wrong direction! _He thought frantically.

"I'M OVER HEAR!"

"Now ye elf, my scrumptious supper," the spider hissed, "no need to make a fuss because nobody can hear you," it stated obliviously.

"I think I will have to let you a-hang awhile before you are proper to eat."

The spider was now directly in front of him. All of its eyes shined beadily in the darkness, illuminated by the occasional firefly.

Its long front legs reached out and gripped the sides of the web, expertly rolling Legolas into a cocoon where he squirmed hopelessly.

Try as he might Legolas was completely and totally powerless to escape now and with the heaviest heart he had ever felt, he accepted his fate that here he would die-in his own beloved forest.

As the spider was wrapping him up busily and mumbling a song about catching flies under its breath it unexpectedly emitted a terrible scream and stumbled back.

A man had crashed out of the forest and stood ready with a brandished sword. Legolas rolled over to get a look at the spider which was pulling a sharp looking dagger out of one of its many eyes. The dagger fell with a dull clang to the forest floor and the spider let out an angry shriek before charging recklessly at the man. But the man was ready. Before the spider could get close enough to harm him he darted forward at the surprised spider and slashed the arachnid with his sword gaining the few valuable seconds he needed to thrust his weapon into the spider and end its life.

The man let out a shaky sigh but immediately rushed over to Legolas's side and cut cleanly through the accursed web. Legolas sprang to his feet.

"Thank you," Legolas breathed, still physically and mentally shaken by his near doom.

The man nodded and looked like he wanted to ask something but the look that Legolas gave him silenced him. Legolas had heard whispering and seen shadows dancing in the trees through the darkness that he was able to perceive with his elven eyes and by his body language the human had caught on that they were not out of danger yet.

Something was nagging at the back of his head. It just wasn't right. Then it came to him as if a voice had spoken into his ear; _almost all spiders in Mirkwood live in colonies._

"Be wary," Legolas whispered urgently to the stranger by his side, "when there is one spider there is almost always many others close by."

No sooner than he had spoken these words of warning that a huge swarm of spiders erupted from the tree tops and bushes. Legolas could see the man was just about trembling with fear and he himself could also feel electricity tingling up his spine. Thrusting his hand into his tunic and impatiently ripping down fragments of web he drew out his dagger. Small as it was, it was still his only hope for survival; his weapon, his life.

The spiders were wasted no time slinging webs in between the trees, creating a messy cage of web around them. Already many were advancing in every direction.

Legolas met the human's eyes and with a sure and definite nod they both charged towards the spiders with weapons in hand.

The night was pierced by the howls and screams of dying arachnids. Legolas wielded his dagger with deadly accuracy and sureness in every stroke. Beside him the man was doing just about as well but Legolas could not watch his partner in the battle when he was already dealing with the other half of the colony. Spider after spider fell but they still kept coming, shuffling clumsily over their dead fellows.

> >

Aragorn felt adrenaline pump through his body as he swung and slashed with his sword. It hissed through the air before striking the unfortunate spiders. The elf he had rescued was fighting magnificently with just a small dagger in his hand and Aragorn was just about to let some hope back into his heart before he felt a stabbing pain in his neck and a spider toppled on top of him. The spider scrambled off of him and he lost track of where it went. Aragorn tried to push himself back up to rejoin the fight but a wave of nausea washed over him and his vision swam back and forth as his head spun. Darkness was starting to blot out the flailing spider legs and bodies and he could only hear a deafening roar inside of his head. Just when he was about to surrender to the shadows a bright light lit up his foggy vision and a figure with an unearthly light that seemed to generate from its own body stood in front of Aragorn, driving the spiders away. But Aragorn no longer had the strength to endure and was devoured by darkness.

> >

Legolas directed all of his energy into driving the spiders away from him and his fallen companion. It was working and the spiders were beginning to draw back, obviously intimidated. He felt power and rage seep through him, giving him strength and courage.

"Unless you want to fall like your kin, you will leave and never cross paths with me or any elf again!"

"Nu Earendil's galad gwannathach!"

The spiders were now melting into the shadows as realization dawned in their bulbous eyes of all their fallen comrades.

The remaining survivors fled and he did not stop threatening them until he was positive that the spiders were at least half a league away.

The silence was deafening as Legolas pocketed his knife and stood panting in exhaustion. He turned to walk away but chanced a glance over his shoulder at the small clearing with the slaughtered spiders and the man.

Legolas didn't know what to do. He had to get home to confront Sellion and Morcion but the man was injured and would die if he left him there.

_He's not even supposed to be in Mirkwood. _He thought darkly. _True, _another voice whispered in his head, _but he did save your life. _

_Men are just as bad as orcs; they are greedy and care for nothing but themselves._

_Not this one though... He risked his life to save yours._

Legolas groaned a loud and reluctantly started back towards the stranger, giving in to his voice of conscious.

Crouching impatiently down by the man's side he felt for a pulse and checked his breathing. Everything seemed normal enough-at least for a human. Examining the back of his neck Legolas concluded that a spider had indeed poisoned him there which meant only a bad case of spider poison. With any luck the human would be back on his feet by the next evening. Legolas sighed once more, this was the last thing he wanted to do. Plus it was going to be very uncomfortable to actually speak to this stranger.

They had to reach a better location though before Legolas could help this man. He pulled out his dagger and strode over to where the webs were woven through the trees. After he had sliced a path and made sure he wouldn't have to worry about any other webs, Legolas bent over lifting the man off the ground. He took a few unbalanced steps backwards but regained his balance and trudged around the spider bodies and deeper into the forest. Nobody could heal here among the darkness, no one.

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**A/N:**

**Under Earendil's light you will depart**

**I hope you guys liked this chapter.**

**Special thanks to my reviewers: Masterarcher, Deana, QueenofFlarmphgal, zareen, invisigoth3, silverkonekotsukari, Ainu Lairie, silverkitcat, Slayer3, and LEGOLAS' lady 101**

**I probably won't be able to update until next Sunday or Monday. Mainly because of school and I still need time to plan out this story.**

**Also! Guess who that quote is by and I will give you a special recognition or something in the next chapter. (I left out one word in that quote to not make it a 'captain obvious' question.)**

**Notes to peoplz:**

**I loved your reviews! Thanks for the advice and corrections and stuff. Haha cliff hangers make me laugh. :)**

**LEGOLAS' lady 101: thx for the advice, and thanks for the elvish words. I knew a bit of elvish awhile ago but it all went out the window during the middle of summer and I don't remember anything so I'm kind of in a tight spot with my elvish. Plus just about every website I go to has a different version of each word. Know any good elvish websites?-anyone?**

**Ainu Lairie: Wow not a thing gets past you! ;) I looked at your reviews an then at my chapters and just about fainted because everything you said was right. lol. Ahhh I can't believe I made a few of those mistakes! I knew that stuff before I actually wrote it and then I don't know what happens, I don't even want to know shakes head in disgust at my stupidity Oh well, - i beat my head with copy of The Hobbit- thanks so much for telling me that stuff so I could fix it. By the way, to get to my house you need to drive north-yeah hundreds of miles north! I live in Washington. Thats awesome-I love CA! **

**Cya guys next chappie and don't forget to review!**


	4. Meeting Hope

**I am so so s-o-r-r-y this was late. I feel really bad. But this time I am not going to set a deadline for myself. I probably will take a week to a week and a half for updates. Not making any promises though.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything- Tolkien does.**

**A/N: Congragulations to the people who got the'mystery' quote right-Zareen and silverkonekotsukari !**

**(It is our choices, Harry,that show us what we truly are, far more that our abilities. -Albus Dumbledoor)**

**I left out the word Harry on purpose just so it wouldn't be too easy. :) I'm just that evil! And also obsessed with good quotes. If you have one I would _love _to hear it.**

**See A/N at end up chap.**

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**_-Do not pray for lighter burdens but stronger backs. -anonymous _**

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The darkness was as black as ink as Legolas stumbled through the trees and shrubbery in the deepest part of Mirkwood, carrying the injured stranger. He had completely lost track of how far and how long he had staggered; for the shadows of the forest was as daunting as a bad dream that he could not awaken from and grasp reality. All that he needed to find was a clearing of any sort where he could deal with this man and get some rest himself. Occasionally Legolas would pick up the rustling of an animal and his eyes would perceive their own glowing eyes through the veil of darkness, as they constantly haunted him like an ill omen. This had never really disturbed him before, but after the previous events of the day his mind couldn't take much. 

_Just a little farther..._ He thought somewhat desperately as his foot slipped again and he teetered a few steps backwards. Using a tree trunk to lean back on and support him, Legolas closed his eyes wearily, gathering strength. He saw all of chaos of the day unfold in horrific flashes behind his eyelids. When he could bear it no longer he opened his eyes, blinking rapidly through the gloom. His arms were starting to burn as the muscles strained to continue carrying the stranger. Clearing his mind he set off slowly. His ears picked up the sound of rushing water and he set off towards it.

A few minutes later as he was trudging along he turned a sharp corner and his eyes wererewarded with a tiny clearing and a small brook woven through the dense trees around the edge of the glade.

His whole body coursed with relief and it took immense self control to not drop the man like a sack of potatoes. Instead Legolas lowered him carefully down to the ground and collapsed immediately beside him. Legolas took deep soothing breaths and just lay still for a few minutes while his muscles screamed in pain and soreness from the battle and the long walk. Then he stretched out limberly and felt a little of the fatigue drain away. Taking a deep breathe and then letting it hiss out slowly under his breathe he once again turned his attention towards the stranger.

Legolas took off his own cloak and laid it flat on the ground, then rolling the man none to gently onto it. Tipping the man's head up he examined the neck. The puncture was not fairly large but it was oozing blood and a nasty greenish discharge. Checking the man's pulse and breathing rate to find that it was still fine.

Legolas gathered shrubbery and branches to create a small fire and soon the tinder was crackling comfortingly. Now he could see properly. Igniting a small branch, he searched nearby for some common healing plants growing in Mirkwood. Upon finding some he returned back to the camp and applied expertly to the wound. Finding some bandage in the stranger's pocket he soon wrapped had the wound wrapped and already mending.

Legolas's job was not over yet though. He kneeled by the brook and lowered his head to examine the water. Most of the water that ran through Mirkwood was enchanted water that only elves could drink. He smelled the water and cupped it in his hands. He would just have to take his chances. Besides it wouldn't do the stranger any harm to be put to an enchanted sleep while he was ill. _Then again_ Legolas thought, _it would just take forever to get a move on._

Legolas gave in though and after taking a refreshing drink himself, he cupped water in his hands and carefully transferred it over to the stranger. Once he had gotten the man to swallow it without choking he warily leaned against a nearby tree trunk and pulled out a small piece of lembas.

Realizing how hungry he was Legolas ate somewhat hastily and numbly as he stared across the flames at the man. The light of the fire cast eerie shadows flicking across the man's face. Legolas found himself studying the man, looking for any kind of clue to his identity. One thing that was obvious was that the man was young, probably not a day older than twenty-four. Also that the man was equipped and clad for traveling and carrying gear with some elvish inscriptions.

_He probably doesn't even know that it is elvish, _Legolas thought with a fraction of a sneer at the man but was too tired to continue with negative thoughts about the inferior race. He was growing tired and at last he gratefully surrendered to the darkness and entered the world of dreams.

> >

Aragorn groaned softly as dim, musky light flashed as vividly as lightning across the endless black plain behind his eyelids. He didn't want to open his eyes but they flickered open none the less. Instantly he regretted waking up. Nausea gutted his stomach and his vision swam before his eyes. Blinking rapidly, the fog diminished partially and he found himself lying on the forest floor in a small clearing with no memory of ending up there. He tried to push himself up in a sitting position but to no avail. With every movement pain coursed through his body. So instead he tried to crane his neck up and forward but the pain was so intensifying he let a hiss escape his lips. Pulling his hand back stiffly, he felt the back of his neck. It had already been bandaged and by the feel of it somebody had done a fine job.

Aragorn could take it no longer; summoning all of his strength he pushed himself upright only to lock eyes with an elf sitting across from him. At first it completely startled him and he had to take a deep breathe and conclude that the elf was merely sleeping.

Elves slept with their eyes open, a feat that Aragorn had never achieved since his attempts in childhood. That elf he had rescued from the spider's web had obviously cared for him and he felt a rush of gratitude.

The elf's eyes were staring straight at him and Aragorn was surprised that the startling blue orbs didn't conceive him. Aragorn could never fool Elladan and Elrohir while they were sleeping. They were almost as alert in their sleep as they were awake. So after he was caught attempting to plaster food onto Elrohir's hair while he was sleeping, both of the twins were more than happy to do the same the next night and of course Aragorn had not realized this until he woke up to discover jelly in his hair that morning...

Aragorn cautiously waved his hand in front of the elf's face. The affect was so startling as the elf practically jumped out of his skin and then slammed his blonde head back against the tree trunk. Aragorn's smile faded as the elf scowled and then glared at him.

"I find that a rather rude way to wake people up that way when they're sleeping, human." The elf growled. Aragorn opened his mouth then shut it again, rather taken back from this elf's aggressive behavior. Instead he decided to change the subject.

"Many thanks for caring for me. So you're from Mirkwood right?"

Aragorn was positively alarmed when the elf's mouth opened in a snarl.

"I'm going to ask the questions around here. What are you doing in Mirkwood?"

"I just wanted to see _your_ realm and _your_ home with my own eyes," Aragorn replied earnestly, snickering to himself.

"Did it ever occur to you that strangers are not welcomed in Mirkwood?"

"No, but I never thought either that an elf of Mirkwood could be this insolent," Aragorn shot back.

"What's your name?" The elf snapped crossly.

"Estel," Aragorn answered immediately. It was his name; not his real birth name but that was what he answered to and this foul elf never needed to know his secret. He saw the flicker of confusion cross the elf's distinguished features as to why a human would go by an elf name but his face hardened again a split second later.

"Well _Estel, _how does your neck feel?"

Aragorn felt a little surprised that the elf would even care enough to ask about his well being but that's how elves generally were: unpredictable.

"Very sore and stiff."

The elf sniffed, "not surprising considering you didn't look up during the battle and got yourself poisoned."

"Well I'm starting to wish that I hadn't risked my life to pull you out of that web!" Aragorn retorted. "How does an elf of your superiorty get caught in a spider's web anyway when you have the best of sight, hearing and fleet footedness?"

Aragorn had expected this comment to make the elf even more nasty but all he saw was a glimmer of anxiety and determination.

"It's none of your business." The elf said flatly as if defeated. "Just rest right now and your strength will return soon. The affects of spider poison doesn't last to long. I know what it's like, human, and it takes a toll on your physical strength and makes you achy, drowsy and sick. I shall return soon."

"Wait," Aragorn whispered, extremely surprised by the elf's sudden changes in character. The elf turned and faced him. "You never told me your name."

Aragorn could see the waver of uncertainty and the elf's eyes flickered down to the ground before coming to rest back on him.

"Legolas," the elf answered clearly and then he was gone.

That name sounded familiar to Aragorn but he disregarded it with little thought. "Legolas," he said, rolling the elvish name on is tongue. "Greenleaf," he muttered to himself. He hadn't quite expected a warm welcome but that had been a bit ridiculous. _It's not like you had no warning though, _Aragorn thought somewhat bitterly.

As he had been about to mount his horse before leaving Rivendell, Elrond had come up alongside of him before the twins could. _Do not expect a warm welcome in Mirkwood, Estel, many of those elves love any reason to distrust a human. _

Aragorn had been a little startled at first but not surprised, for Lord Elrond was one of the wisest among elves and it had not been the first time Aragorn had felt his mind being read like a book.

Sighing wearily he decided to take Legolas's advice and get some rest...

> >

Legolas nimbly climbed a tree and leaned against the trunk. He didn't know why his patience had snapped back there. He hadn't meant to be that harsh to Estel but all he felt was stress, anxiety and sadness because soon everybody in Mirkwood would believe him dead when Sellion and Morcion returned. _You can blame it on that, _the little voice in his head whispered, _but you are just afraid to trust a human after what you have heard about them. You don't want to be betrayed like you just were. If you can't trust your own people then how could you ever trust a human..._

Burying his face in his hands Legolas knew that his thoughts betrayed him also. There was no way to deny that he was simply afraid to trust. Feeling even a little guilty now he decided to hunt and bring back some meat. _But he still isn't welcome here, _Legolas thought firmly.

He had experienced a dose of spider poison once before but it was in the form of an antidote. Although it wasn't as direct as Estel's experience it still wasn't fun.

Legolas had been surprised upon hearing the man's name. In elvish, Estel meant hope. Why would a human be given an elvish name? Legolas pondered. There must be a story behind that, or else Estel didn't realize it was elvish name but that was so unlikely that Legolas ruled it out. Since he was an elf, Legolas had psychological abilities-to an extent, that most mortals would never posses. He intended to gain access to this man's mind and find out everything he could.

Right then he saw the brown ears of a rabbit poking out of the brush. It seemed to be sniffing the ground for food. Legolas pulled out his dagger, took careful aim, and threw it. The startled shriek let him know that his knife had hit its mark. Letting a small smile play across his face he crept down the tree to retrieve his prize. _This rabbit is going to make quite a satisfying meal, _he thought, now in higher spirits as he made his way back to the camp.

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Meanwhile... 

A gigantic host of orcs gathered at the western edge of Mirkwood. Behind the foul brutes could be seen a path of destruction. Smoke was rising off of some scorched trees that had been burned by the hands of orcs. The grass was trampled into mud. These were orcs with a purpose though. Their leader, a gigantic, horrific orc by the name of Shagraz began to rally them in orcish.

"For to long have these tree loving elves hunted us down. For to long have none of us been able to feel the shadows on our skin after wedepart from Mordor. It is time now! Destroy the elves and take Mirkwood, where we will be invincible in the darkness. Those elves will soon suffer, every last one of them. The elven lords _and_ the ladies..." The crowd of orcs cheered and Shagraz gave a vicious smile. "Yes, _all_ of them will suffer. We will not rest until the last elf dies!" He raised his scimitar and the rest of the orcs brandished their weapons. As they charged in to the forest each thoughts were on the most evil intentions. Mirkwood was going to suffer, it was going to die.

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**PLEASE REVIEW!**

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**Big A/N:**

**Thanks all of my fantastic, awesome, dynamite reviewers: invisigoth3, Deana, QueenofFlarmphgal, Slayer3, LEGOLAS' lady 101, Galimeril, silverkitcat, zareen and last but not least, silverkonekotsukari.**

**Like I said before I am really sorry this is late. :(**

**invisigoth: Thanks for sticking with the story, it's great to always get such posative reviews from you!**

**Deana: Thanks for your great reviews, they make me smile. :)**

**QueenofFlarmphgal: Lol, I like it when Aragorn gets hurt too,-thanks for your reviews.**

**Masterarcher: Thanks for your reviews! I love your name by the way. ;)**

**Slayer3: Haha your reviews make me laugh, you are so funny!**

**LEGOLAS' lady 101: Thanks for your reviews:)and correcting my mistake. **

**Gameril: I hope you get this, I didn't understand what you meant in the last part of your review? I tried emailing you too but my email is retarted and kept bouncing back, thx for the review!**

**Inwe Nolatari: Thanks for your reviews! You rock. :)**

**Silverkitcat: Thanks for your review, yeah getting busy is horrible when you are trying to write a story. :P Thats why, this chap is so darn late. cya next chapter!**

**Zareen: thx for the review, lol about the elvish-it sure is difficultly annoying trying to find the 'correct' elvish on 50 billion sights that all have a different version. :) Holy smokes, good job on that quote! I didn't even know which Harry Potter book that was from!**

**silverkonekotsukari: I'm proud of you too for getting that quote too, I know I wouldn't have gotten it! thanks for the review :)**


	5. Complexities

**-Looks at number of reviews and faints!- :) **

**Thx guys! I loved getting your reviews. I am sorry this took forever to update. "Now you have to listen to all of her pathetic excuses," my characters say, my bad boys Sellion and Morcion. and I say that's darn right i have a lot! Seriously though its been pretty rough. I have been really sick, lots of hw :( and writers block! ahh it was terrible but it finally came to me while eating a Popsicle in the hot tub during a thunderstorm which is quite the curious sensation by the way :) Sorry guys,- didn't forget about you, actually I have been racked with guilt. I promise the next chappie will be more interesting. -crosses fingers- well it better be, not that this one is bad. I'm rambling again lol just ignore me. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the characters that you don't recognize. **

**Thanks to my reviewers: Masterarcher-**thx I loved your review**, QueenofFlarmphgal- **lol glad you like it-**, Ainu Laire-**thx for catchin my mistake like always :) The startled shriek of the rabbit let him know his knife had hit its target lol-**Invisigoth,-**lol you are usually the first to review thx-,**Silverkonesukari-**loved the quotes! thx-**Redleef-**thx for the review, I really like your story-**Slayer3**-lol!-**Legolas' lady 101**-i could never forget about you guys! thx for the review-**Zareen-**lol I am so not the right person to ask for elvish, lol. I have a difficult time finding sights myself. For the few times in this story that I have stuck elvish in, came from the movie dialog lists on the net, sorry i'm not much help. **Ilaaris-**thx for your review :),**404-**thx lol!**-warrior of the shadow-**srry this isn't exactly a quick update, I'll try harder to keep the chps coming,-**cici-**gracias, lol, thanks for your review,**-Emily-**thank you so much!**-Inwe Nolatari-**Thanks for the brownie:) of course you can add my story on your favorites list, thx for the review!

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_**-Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it.**_ -**Andre Gide**

Aragorn shifted restlessly from his sitting position on the hard ground. He kept feeling Legolas's piercing gaze whenever he looked away. It was midday and already getting muggy in the dense trees. Both of them had just been sitting in the clearing silently for what seemed like forever. Recovering from spider poison had not been pleasant. He still felt a bit queasy butoverall he was much better. The elf had been a bit more kind to him but Aragorn could see the raw distrust and concealed contempt behind that act. He smiled to himself. He could start blabbering anything he wanted in Sindarin and Legolas's jaw would drop. But doing that would only unlock his identity and he couldn't do that until he could put unwavering trust in this elf. He had come so close a few times to speaking in elvish. After all, it was all he ever spoke at home...

_Home, _that word sounded beautiful right now. A place where he could just be himself-not the heir to the throne of Gondor,or some lonely traveler. Aragorn would give anything to go back to Imladris right now. He couldn't go back though; he was too far into this now.

Suddenly a crashing through the dense undergrowth snapped Aragorn's thoughts. He jerked his head up to see Legolas already crouching on a low tree branch, poised with dagger ready to throw. Aragorn stiffly stumbled up on his feet and snatched his sword glancing at the elf again. Unexpectedly Legolas's body relaxed and he lowered his weapon.

"What is it," Aragorn hissed at the elf. The creature was growing closer by the second.

Legolas only smirked at him and jumped lightly down from the tree.

Aragorn tensed angrily and started towards the noise. He drew a rather large bush back and a flash of gray greeted his eyes.

Avari, his horse popped his head out and nickered happily upon seeing his master. Fresh guilt rose in Aragorn's throat when he remembered tying Avari to a tree before plunging into the forest to risk his neck for Legolas last night. He patted his horse and grabbed the trailing reins that had been dragging along.

>

Legolas leaned back against a tree as he watched Estel lead the horse into camp.

"Your horse?"

Estel nodded and immediately started untacking the handsome gray stallion.

"What's his name?"

Estel glanced back over his shoulder at him.

"Avari," he answered simply.

There it was again! In elvish avari meant _unwilling._

Legolas chose not to say anything to this strange human. Instead he walked over to the horse. Murmuring quietly in elvish to the horse he stroked Avari's neck and back. The horse's muscles relaxed under his fingertips and Avari nickered softly.

>

Aragorn watched a bit jealously at the elf's incredible way with horses.

His horse was name Avari-(unwilling) in elvish because the horse had been incredibly stubborn with everybody. Aragorn had first seen Avari when the horse had been ridden harshly by a trader in the woods near Imladris. He had been spending several days out with Elladan and Elrohir hunting and scouting. The horse had been rearing and prancing nervously, unwilling to go forward. It deeply disturbed him to see the poor horse beaten when it was only frightened and confused. He offered to trade the horse he had been riding for it, a calm old gelding that would do anything for anybody.

'You must promise though that you will treat this horse well,' he had insisted to the trader who just clearly didn't know much about horses.

'Aye that I will. My thanks to you,' the man had said then rode off.

Elladan and Elrohir had been dubious about the nervous gray horse that Aragorn had impulsively traded for.

'Best to let me ride it first little brother,' Elladan had so graciously volunteered.

Elladan grew more and cockier as he rode the now docile beast around. Before long he had directed the horse at a fallen log and urged it to canter. Avari had picked up speed as they came roaring towards the jump but the clever horse had refused and sent Elladan careering out of the saddle, over the log and in a heap on the ground. Aragorn and Elrohir had never let Elladan live that one down. Soon Elrohir tested his skill on horseback and ended up with a difficult time also. Aragorn had decided to lead the horse back on foot in the end.

His brothers dubbed the gray stallion Avari, and the name just grew and grew as soon as Aragorn told everybody in Imladris who was willing to listen about how each of the twins was outmatched by a small gray stallion.

It had taken time and patience to bring that horse to the obedient, well behaved steed Avari was today but it was worth it. The memories brought a small smile to Aragorn's face.

"Well are you ready human?"

Legolas's brisk voice brought Aragorn back from his stroll down memory lane.

"Ready for what?"

"Ready to be escorted out of this forest," the elf snapped impatiently. "It's early afternoon, you have had rest and I know for myself that you are well enough to travel. You really didn't expect me to just welcome you to my realm with open arms and hold your hand as we skip to the palace did you?"

Aragorn had no answer for him. He disliked this elf more than anybody he had ever met. Instead he packed up his few provisions and avoided looking at Legolas when he felt the elf stare at him. Aragorn had already made up his mind. He was going to go to the elves home of Mirkwood. His brothers had always talked about their visits there and ever since he was a child he had yearned to see what Elladan and Elrohir had seen and go where they had went. Not willing to give in he followed the elf out of their campsite, already tripping with schemes.

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"My lord," Sellion said respectfully with a bowed head as he approached King Thranduil's throne. Behind him Morcion was carrying their golden evidence. 

King Thranduil held up his hand dismissively.

"I take it the patrol was uneventful?"

"Well-"

"Where is Legolas?" King Thranduil stood up and searched the room with his eyes. "I must speak with him."

"See m'lord-"

"This is important Sellion-"

"He's dead!" Morcion squeaked from behind Sellion's back.

The King's face paled and he staggered backwards as his crown of berries and leaves fell to the floor with a soft swish.

The silence was absolutely deafening as the King's servants gaped at the two elves.

"No," the distressed King gasped. "I refuse to believe it."

Sellion winked at Morcion behind his back. This hadn't exactly been the way he was going to spill the beans but it was obviously affective.

"Show our King what's left, Morcion," Sellion said gravely. Morcion slowly held up Legolas's bow and quiver of arrows.

The King stared at the weapons with every inch of his face carved in horror.

"We woke up in the middle of the night to find him missing and so we trailed him. Trailing an elf in the dark is not an easy task, my lord. But we did find him, eventually. We heard a shout and arrived just in time to see him being carried away by some twenty spiders. We followed the screams and then suddenly all was silent. We never found the spiders but we found blood on the ground and leaves and welocated these," he said indicating the bow and arrows. All evidence points that your son is dead."

"And then," Morcion took over, "we came straight back to Mirkwood to bear the grievous news."

"We're so sorry your majesty."

"No, this is all a bad dream," Thranduil whispered hoarsely. His breathing was now coming in ragged gasps. "I'm going to wake up and Legolas will still be here with me."

He staggered a few steps towards the long stone corridor that led to his room but his knees buckled and he collapsed. His servants were immediately by his side to support him.

"Notify Calanon and Faelwen of the King's condition," Vehiron, one of the lords of the King's court, ordered to a nearby elf.

Vehiron grimaced as he helped Thranduil down the hallways. The King was numb with shock and could hardly put one foot in front of the other. This was going to take a great toll on the King's health with Legolas being dead and all.

_Legolas dead... _He couldn't believe it. Legolas was one of the most talented, and skilled warriors that the older elf had come to know. He would miss the prince dearly. Vehiron angrily wiped a tear from his cheek. He was stronger than this. He was supposed to be strong in front of his King.

_'_ _It_ _is no crime to grieve for one's life,'a_ small voice whispered in his head.

Vehiron sighed. He needed to help Thranduil now and mourn with the rest of Mirkwood later. That was his duty.


	6. Word games

**A/N:Vehiron, a character that I made up who we will be seeing a bit more of is the King's advisor and a lord of the court. He isn't related to Legolas or Thranduil in anyway but he still has somedistant noble blood from somewhere else. **

**Special thanks to my fantastic reviewers: **silverkonekotsukari, Masterarcher, LEGOLAS' lady 101, Moonlight Butterfly, QueenofFlarmphgal, Faerlas, Ainu Laire, Lyn, invisigoth3, Slayer3, and Tommylover! 

**

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**-To find a friend one must close one eye; To keep him, two. Norman Douglas **

Aragorn was trying to persuade Avari to move around the bush. All the horse seemed content with was stripping leaves off the branches of trees. _It's just a bush, _Aragorn thought annoyedly. He picked up a dead tree branch from the ground and tapped the horse on the rear. Avari jumped forward around the bush-which extremely relieved Aragorn, all the while glaring at him reproachfully. Aragorn shook his head. "You are just going to have to deal with it my friend," he said quietly and turned just in time torecieve a whip in the face from a heavy tree branch. Aragorn's face stung, blinding him for a few seconds from theprickily coniferous tree branch. He exasperatedly pushed the branch aside and glaredat the elf in front of him, not particuarily appreciating the sensation of a snapping branch in the face but he said nothing.

They had been moving at a frenzied pace through the forest. The elf which seemed to be very preoccupied at the moment was moving quickly and easily through the densest of underbrush. He himself, was having a more of a problem, leading his horse was difficult in such a place and they had been walking or rather hurrying for hours. He had no clue where they were. They would crisscross the main path here and there and then go in what seemed the complete opposite direction. Aragorn was beginning to even wonder if they were going in circles but he dared not ask for Legolas was in a foul mood still and seemed to know completely where he was going.

>

_Stupid human. _They were going too slowly. They could have made it halfway to the border by now if not for Estel. Legolas was so stressed about his father and the wretchedbrothers who had betrayed him, Sellion and Morcion. He needed to get this human out, then hurry back to Mirkwood. They had traveled in silence for hours and Legolas liked it this way. He could hear his frantic thoughts clearly in his head which in his opinion was a much better use of his time then pointlessly talking to an outsider. He didn't want to have to trust this human. He didn't want to even get to know him. At this moment he could hear Estel and the horse trampling behind him noisily.

Legolas had taken every opportunity to lift up a root with his foot or snap a tree branch back in the man's face. He didn't know why he was doing this but he couldn't help but pull a few tricks here and there. It reminded him of times when he would do that with the twins Elladan and Elrohir, sons of Elrond of Imladris. They were his best friends but he hadn't seen them for years and years...

>

"Legolas, can we please slow down. It's very difficult leading a horse through this brush," Aragorn reasoned

Legolas snorted and leaned against a tree.

"Imagine that."

That was when it finally snapped and Aragorn had closed up the distance between him and the elf and rounded angrily.

"What is your problem?"

Legolas's smirk was wiped off his face and he opened his mouth and closed it again, apparently at a loss for words. Aragorn continued to stare expectantly at the gaping elf waiting for an answer. Legolas was spared at that moment though because a terrible cry echoed through the forest, robbing the perpetual woodland sounds from their sources. The single cry was followed by shouts that died off as quickly as a snuffed candle flame.

Aragorn stood there straining his hearing but all he could hear was the loud silence. Legolas was a different matter. Aragorn turned his attention to the elf who was also listening. Legolas's pointed ears would prick every few seconds and by the look on the elf's face he wasn't hearing anything good. They stayed like that for a few minutes; Legolas still as a statue and Aragorn watching him. Finally Aragorn asked, "What did you hear?"

Legolas turned his piercing eyes on him.

"Yrch," he hissed but then he remembered that this traveler probably didn't speak elvish and switched back to the common tongue. (yrch-orcs)

"I heard what you heard Estel. I heard shouts and I heard weapons clash. Somewhere in this forest people are in grave danger and it's most likely my people who are in peril."

"Well what do we do?" Aragorn asked, troubled at the news of orcs which he understood perfectly.

Legolas stared at him, whether for seconds or minutes Aragorn didn't know. It was unnerving the way those pale, silver, blue eyes looked through him, sizing him up, daring him to look away. Finally he elf spoke, slowly and carefully.

"We are miles off of the path you traveled on. I have been leading you through the shortest possible way out of Mirkwood from the direction you came. I don't know how far off the sounds were. Maybe a league or two, I couldn't tell." Legolas broke off his intense gaze at Aragorn and looked down at the ground, scuffing the toe of his light boots on the mossy earth. "I could tell you how to get back to the main trail and you could leave from there."

"I want to stay," Aragorn said softly. "It's my duty to help those in trouble since I heard the noises also. There isn't much time though."

Legolas looked at him unsurely. He could still see a bit of anger and defiance in the elf's eyes and he wasn't sure if Legolas was going to take this as an insult or not.

"Very well, come along then. Your horse will only slow us down though. There is not much choice but to send it to the kingdom."

Aragorn nodded, relieved and stepped back as Legolas approached the horse. Legolas began whispering in a low voice in the horse's ear. Aragorn strained to hear what the elf was saying and caught but few of the elvish words.

Avari walked towards Aragorn and nudged him hard in the back causingasmile to break upon hisweatherd face.

"Noro lim Avari," Legolas advised and the horse broke off into a brisk trot in the direction they had come from. (noro lim-ride fast)

"Don't worry, he'll find his way," Legolas said quietly.

Aragorn nodded and followed Legolas who had suddenly taken off in an alarmingly fast sprint. They both plunged through the forest afraid of what they had yet to find.

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"Your majesty please eat." 

Faelwen tried for the fourth time that day to offer the bowl of warm broth to the King. Thranduil was lying in his bed staring up with blank, unfocused eyes. He had hardly responded to anything that day since the news of his son's death.

She sighed and ran her hand over the folds of the soft, cotton bed covers absent mindedly. She didn't believe Legolas was dead. How could he be? She refused to believe what the two brothers said. How many times Legolas had came to her as a small elfling and cried over their taunting and teasing? Something just wasn't right about what they had accounted.

"Faelwen?"

"Oh, I didn't hear you come in mellon nin."

"My apologies for startling you," Calonan, the brown haired elf said politely, glancing at the motionless King.

"Has he eaten anything?"

"No, he just won't respond at all. Its just come as such a shock..."

"Nienor," he corrected. ( nienor-sorrow)

"Mani?" she asked. (mani-what)

It's more than shock effecting him, it's utter sorrow. His body is shutting down. You know that don't you?" the healer asked quietly as he examined Thranduil.

"Amin weera yassa le," she said sadly. "I slipped herbs into the broth that would help but he just won't eat it Calanon." (I agree with you)

"Faelwen, mellon nin amin hiraetha," Calanon said sadly knowing how much pain Faelwen was probably feeling. (my friend I am sorry)

A shadow passed over her face and Faelwen said nothing but only nodded her head. Calanon watched her for a few moments until she flicked her eyes significantly to the motionless King.

"If there is any thing I can do or bring up here please tell me," Faelwen urged.

Calanon's face clouded and he put a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes, overwhelmed.

"Hannon le, I need nothing right now though. I just need time to think and maybe I can find a way to pull him out of this." (hannon le-thank you)

"I leave you now then," Faelwen sighed and exited the King's royal bedchamber.

Outside she leaned against the wall and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her pointed ear. _Ai_ _Iluvatar,_ she thought desperately.

Suddenly she heard loud voices echo through the corridor. At the time she didn't know what made her do this but instead of staying put as she had every right to be, she gathered her skirts and crouched behind a particularly ugly statue. She knew who those voices were and sure enough their owners came strolling down the hall. Sellion and Morcion were laughing and talking animatedly to each other.

"Everything is going according to plan my brother."

Faelwen stared confused at the elves from behind her hiding place.

"Sellion I don't know about this..."

The brothers stopped right by her hiding place and Faelwen closed her eyes and listened to her heart drum inside her chest. Daring to take a look, she peered around the statue and breathed a sigh of relief. Sellion was facing Morcion with his back towards her and by the look in Morcion's face Sellion did not mean well. Suddenly Sellion pinned his brother against the wall. "If you do _anything_ to ruin our chances I will personally see to it that _you _are the one in the spider's web," he snarled angrily, releasing his hold on Morcion and stalking away.

Morcion took a shuddering breath of air and followed quickly and silently after his brother.

Faelwen stumbled to her feet and took a deep breath. _What was that all about? Those brothers have something to do with Legolas's disappearance, I'm sure of it._

She hurriedly walked down the dim corridor, cursing her particularly long skirt she wore. Her mind was in a flurry right now, swimming with scenarios of what the brothers had done to Legolas, each worse than the one before. A painful impact jarred her out of thought and she fell to the floor along with the stranger.

Her faced flushed when she saw who that 'stranger' was. Hastily and rather ungracefully she scrambled to her feet. "Mae Govannon Vehiron, amin hiraetha" she apologized and bowed her head to the lord. (well met Vehiron, I'm sorry)

"It's alright Faelwen," he said with a wincing smile as he stood up. "I must say though that I am curious to know why you were in such a hurry."

"I was looking for someone and well you're just the person I was hoping to run into."

Vehiron gave her a puzzled look and her face flamed once more.

"I didn't mean to word it like that my lord," she said sheepishly.

Vehiron smiled good naturedly, "of course not and you can call me Vehiron. Now what was it you wanted to tell me?"

Faelwen took a deep breath and organized her thoughts.

"Well first of all I presume you will be the one taking over the King's rule while he is in this, condition."

Vehirion nodded,"I wasn't under the impression that his state of being is too serious that I would actually have to rule Mirkwood though."

Faelwen felt a bit of anger lick her insides. "Have you seen the King lately?"

"Well no but I-"

"Thranduil is fading right now," she interrupted.

Vehirion paled and he bit his lip worriedly.

"Also," she interjected, "I think that a search party should comb the eastern forest for Legolas."

Vehiron nodded, "you are right. Everybody would feel better knowing what happened to the Prince instead of these vague details. Who knows he could even be alive."

Faelwen bit her lip. She hated it when people spoke of Legolas that way, like he was nothing but a valuble item. 'Oh wouldn't it be a pity if we lost the Prince,' or'How would the kingdom survive?'

She pushed those thoughts out of her mind though and looked up once again into the lord's blue eyes.

"So you disagree with Sellion and Morcion's story too?"

"No, I never said that. Why would they ever lie to us, to the King?"

_Because they only care about their own ambitions_, she wanted to say but didn't. "You are probably right my lord," she sighed and excused herself.

Vehirion shook his head and continued to walk down the hall. He was on his way to organize a patrol of warriors. It was time to send out the patrol to search for the body. A grievious task that no elf would be keen on doing.

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The elf was just ahead of Aragorn, just a few yards ahead. They had been running for a few hours, pausing every so often for Legolas to keep his bearings. Aragorn concentrated on keeping his cape from becoming snagged on thorns and stepping over the numerous roots that were scattered through the forest. His eyes were focosed on the figure in front of him. Legolas's blond hair was blown back behind him with his grayish green cape billowing out with every step the elf took. 

They were leagues and leagues off the path-at least from what Aragorn could perceive but then again they could be right next to it. His disoriented thoughts were starting to bother him and he longed to talk freely to the elf, actually he would be relieved to speak with anybody. Unexpectedly the elf turned around and hissed, "I sense they are very close." With speed that only the eldar was blessed with Legolas pulled far away from Aragorn with the quickest strides that he had ever seen. Without the elf to follow, Aragorn crashed blindly through the forest and rounded a corner so sharply that he almost ran into the stationary elf. Legolas did not seem winded at all but frozen with shock. As Aragorn gasped for breath he straightened up and looked past the petrified elf. "Oh no," he breathed.

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noro lim-ride fast

nienor-sorrow

mani-what

amin weera yassa le-I agree with you

amin hiraetha-I'm sorry

mae govannon-Well met

hannon le-thank you

**I am not sure if all of the elvish is correct but please bear with me, I'm no expert. :) **

**A special thanks to Elven Hope who supplied me with great elvish websites. **

**A/N: I know Legolas is acting like a jerk a lot but he has some good reasons-not that I'm giving him an excuse to act like that but I haven't been able to tell the story from his point of view for very long. Here are some things that he's feeling that I haven't included in the story. He is very upset at the betrayal and even though he doesn't always get along with his father he does not want to put Thranduil through the emotional pain of losinga son. He is being rude to Aragorn because it's a way to vent all the emotions he's feeling and men haven't ran high in the repuation book for the elves. Legolas has never met a decent man, he hears about what they have done like Isildor and the ring and stuff but he is very isolated in Mirkwood. Lastly he is feeling very protective of his kingdom after losing control of his fellow elves and his fate and he does not like the idea of putting trust into a creature like a human when his trust in his own people was recently obliterated. I just wanted to put this out there.**

**cya next chapter! **

**-oh and Ainu Laire I'm a girl:) **


	7. A Light in the Darkness

**Sorry this took awhile.**

**Thanks to my wonderful reviewers: ****LEGOLAS' lady 101**,**zareen, QueenofFlarmphgal, Faerlas, Swasti, invisigoth3**, **Slayer3**and **silverkonekotsukari**

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**-Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle. -Philo**

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Almost trance like Legolas reached down and ran his finger on the blood stained moss beneath his feet. Red blood was pooled all over the ground, mixing with thick, black, tar looking blood. That was not the most devastating thing that his eyes had to offer. Just ahead of him and Estel bodies were scattered on the ground where they had fallen. There were orcs but the majority were elves-his people dead. Dead.

He somehow forced one heavy foot in front of the other and pulled back a bush to happen upon a bloody, severed elf head speared to a tree. A wave of nausea forced him to his knees and his ears started ringing as his vision swam in and out of focus. Drawing air into his lungs and out again was somehow not natural anymore and he took great shuddering breaths.

Suddenly a hand softly rested on his shoulder and he turned and looked into Estel's sympathetic gray eyes. He hadn't heard the human approach him but the gesture was comforting and Legolas found himself appreciating it inwardly. The buzzing in his head subsided and he swallowed down the bile rising in his throat.

He knew these elves. They were his friends, his brothers. His old mentor's blood was spilling into his hands from where he lay next to Legolas, half concealed by a bush. All of his other fellows lay spread around him, stone dead. And his enemy's hand was resting on his shoulder to comfort him, not to betray him or lie to him but to befriend him, to help him.

"Are you alright?" Estel asked concernedly somewhere from his side.

Legolas forced himself to nod.

This had not been the first time he had seen the death of his people but this was by far the worst slaughtering he had ever seen. Orcs had done it for fun. They had taken time decapitating the elves and chopping off body parts.

The truth made him angry, furious was more like it. He ripped a bloody leaf off a shrub and crushed it in his fist, feeling the moisture soak into his palm and suddenly realizing dimly that Estel was not crouched beside him any longer. Upon turning and locating Estel, Legolas felt a little bit of shock ebb into his numb body. Estel was already tending the dead, closing their eyes and laying their weapons across their chests while he was still sitting their like a fool. He stumbled to his feet and followed Estel's lead. Angrily he kicked a dead orc out of his way as he fought the urge to repeatedly stab the foul creature. He was about ready to give up his sanity andvent his anger out on the body when another grounded elf came to his attention.

Out of good habit Legolas bent down to check the warrior's pulse. He jerked back into a quick time reality. There was a pulse, although it was faint and erratic the heart was still beating-just barely. The elf was twitching and choking weakly on blood all the while with his mouth open in a silent scream of agony.There was a fatal puncture in the elf's throat which was bleeding profusely.Legolas grasped a knife lying nearby on the ground. This elf had no chance of surviving and Legolas didn't want his kin to suffer. He had no choice but to ease his passing. His hand trembled violently and he watched horrified as his body obeyed his intention but inside his head he was screaming _no, that maybe the elf could be saved_ but instead he only heard the sickly sound of the knife being plunged into the elf's heart. The elf died almost instantly and Legolas hated himself at that moment. He hated himself. He hated everything about him, everything he had ever done and every happy feeling he had ever felt. All he was, was a hole, of no depth, of no volume, of no ending. And he was falling into his own endless chasm of darkness. This world was hardly worth living in anymore.

"Navaer mellon nin," he whispered and closed the elf's bulging eyes.(farewell my friend)

Stepping back he stumbled onto his old mentor's body. Legolas had almost forgotten about him. This elf had been the leader of the warrior patrols and had been specifically sought out and asked by Thranduil to train Legolas in the art of combat and archery years and years ago. He now lay mangled and bloody in the grass and bushes with his face still frozen in a look of defiance and shock. There was something else too, _fear_ Legolas realized uneasily. Images of the times they had shared together when he was an elfling, hunting, fighting, training, teaching, learning, flashed soundlessly in front of Legolas's very own eyes.

He absentmindedly reached into his tunic to stroke the blade of his short knife which was usually what he did when his mind was far off somewhere else. When he realized what his hand was doing he recoiled instantly and closed his eyes wearily.

Sighing, he collected the elf's knives and bow and gathered scattered arrows on the ground. It might be considered disrespectful to take a dead warrior's weapons for your own but Legolas was sure his mentor would understand. He needed the weapons to avenge his people's death since Sellion and Morcion had his.

Legolas wiped all of the blood off of the knives and cleaned the arrows automatically without thinking. He couldn't think. All that he felt was the gaping hole inside of him. Elves that he had known would never die were dead and he felt this time as if he were teetering on the sheer edge of a knife over the empty crevice of blackness waiting for him. He clumsily made his way to his feet and stared, lost at the black and red blood on the ground seeping together to create a horrible blur of values and beliefs...

"Navaer edhellen-"

When Legolas heard the elvish and he let it wash over him like water on rocks. It took him by the hand and led him to clear water and the bright stars and happier times in his life. Legolas turned around to figure out where the elvish voice was coming from. What he saw shook the very foundations of his heart into scattered confusion and disbelief. It was in that moment that Legolas saw not Estel; the weary traveler but a lord of justice and power who was on his knees amid the blood and bodies and was releasing the fallen spirits.

"Hiro hyn hidh ab 'wanath..." (May they find peace after death)

Legolas just stood there dumbstruck, torn between feeling ashamed of him for not tending to the death of _his _own people and feeling glad inside that a human like Estel was here in his moment of weakness.

"Estel," he said.

Estel turned around and Legolas saw tears in his eyes for the lives that had been taken.The man made no move to brush his tears aside but let one whisper down his cheek softly.

"Hannon le." (thank you)

Estel said nothing but Legolas knew he understood.

It was then Legolas understood. The human had lived up to his name after all. Estel, _Hope_ had pulled him out of the darkness of loss and pain and led him to the light of forgiveness and acceptance.

>

Aragorn had acted upon what was right and not what could be the best for him.Part of him inside understood the pain Legolas was feeling and he felt it too. This unfortunate warrior patrol could have beenfrom Rivendell. Elves, he knew, always had a tougher time dealing with death because they never had to die and most of them didn't want to accept that they or their kin could ever die. He had seen it in Elladan and Elrohir and Legolas was definitely no exception. Death though is a part of life.

Legolas was a lost soul and at the right moment he had held up the light for the elf that feared stumbling in the dark. What Legolas desperately needed was a friend and Aragorn would see that through.

The silence was deafening and the air still as Legolas slowly and smoothly picked his way towards him. He reached out and put his hand on Aragorn's shoulder, holding him at arms length and Aragorn repeated the gesture.

"Evaded nin," the elf said levelly and his clouded blue eyes showed the pain and regret not just of the capacity of the present but pain that the elf had been feeling for many long years. (forgive me)

"U-moe evaded, Legolas." Aragorn said and for the first time Legolas smiled a true, genuine smile and Aragorn saw not the hardened, cheeky warrior but a noble among elves. (there is nothing to forgive, Legolas)

And from that moment on a bond existed between the two, one that would strengthen with respect and time. There was no time for more words though. It was time to avenge.

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**I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It was really fun to write over the holiday and I tried to make it interesting from an elf's perspective that sees death of his own people. **

**Sorry this was short but it was such an important aspect of the story and I saw no need of anything else in this chapter.**

**Please review! **

**QueenofFlarmphgal: They didn't tell each other about themselves because they both didn't trust each other and they both didn't like each other and feel comfortable giving out that personal info about themselves. I hope that made sense. I did mention it briefly in like thebeginning ofthis so I don't blame anybody for not remembering. Basically they didn't trust each other and since Legolas was being foul to Aragornthey weren't really ongood speaking terms.I was toying around at how long I should keep that up and next chappie there's going to be some confessions**


	8. Confessions and Evil

**Please, please review, I love reviews and reviewers lol.**

**I guess I haven't done disclaimers in awhile-I don't own anything but my own characters.**

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**__**The only way to have a friend is to be one. -Ralph Waldo Emerson**_

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It had been nearly eight hours since they had found the slaughtering. Aragorn and Legolas sat quietly around a small campfire, warming their cold, tired bodies, watching the flames greedily lick the wood. The silence was comforting as the crackling fire snugly wrapped the air in a sense of security. Aragorn dug his feet into the soft ground, finding his thoughts continually drifting back to Arwen. 

"Estel, there is something I need to tell you."

The soft, melodic voice wafted through the air and snapped him out of his state of thoughtfulness. Aragorn turned and looked expectantly at Legolas whose face was eerily illuminated by the flickering firelight.

Legolas met his level stare, sighed and said, "I am the Prince of Mirkwood."

It hit Aragorn hard. So that's why Legolas was so familiar. He had heard Elladan and Elrohir affectionately mention Legolas's name commonly. But he had completely forgotten and he had never met the Prince after all.

"It seems that I have not been completely honest with you either." Aragorn finally said. Hehad a feeling in his heart that he could trust this elf.It was time to just get it out."I am Aragorn son of Arathorn and actually Isildur's heir-"

"To the throne of Gondor," Legolas cut in and smiled at Aragorn's look of surprise. "When you are the prince of Mirkwood your elders make certain that you know Middle Earth's history." Legolas explained, rolling his eyes and smiling. "Who gave you your elvish name?"

"Lord Elrond of Rivendell."

"Ahh so you are Elladan's and Elrohir's little brother."

"Ai that I am."

"I met you once when you were very small."

"You did?" Aragorn asked, surprised again.

Legolas hugged his knees and leaned back against a tree. "Many years ago when you were but a child. I was visiting Elladan and Elrohir for they are my good friends when I met their new brother. You didn't have your nickname then though." He turned and looked at Aragorn through serious, solemn eyes. "You have a great destiny to fulfill."

"I don't want to fufill any destiny. That's why I left, that's why I am right here. I don't want to become a King and have that kind of responsibility. I haven't even laid eyes upon Gondor yet."

"Then you must go. Perhaps I can show you someday."

Aragorn was surprised, but nodded his head. "Hannon le." (thank you)

Suddenly Legolas was on his feet and stiff.

"What is it?" Aragorn asked.

"Follow me," Legolas said tensely, "and bring your weapons."

Aragorn and Legolas crept through the dark as freely as shadows. Aragorn found himself depending on Legolas's keen eyesight for guidance even though his eyes had adgusted the darkness by now. When he had questioned Legolas about what they were stalking the prince at simply said, "yrch." But Aragorn could see through the act of merely wanting a wild night. Legolas wanted revenge and he wanted it desperately.

Legolas easily climbed up a tree like a squirrel and Aragorn tried to clamber up just as noiselessly. As they crouched together on the high branches Legolas wordlessly motioned towards the ground about thirty feet away towards something. Aragorn strained his eyes in the dark and saw that there were beings on the forest floor. Not just any beings though: orcs. It looked like there were about seven of them milling around in the darkness. Only when Aragorn glanced back at Legolas did he realize what Legolas was planning to do.

Legolas had already notched an arrow on his bow and was taking careful aim in the darkness.

"Wait, they are eventually going to figure out where that arrow came from."

"Not if I shoot all of them fast enough," Legolas smirked.

Aragorn bit his lip and took out his own bow and arrow. Notching it, he took aim at the orcs.

"Tangado a chadad," Legolas muttered. "Leithioi philinn!" (prepare to fire. release the arrows)

Aragorn heard his arrow and sing through the air and it along with its companion found their targets with a meaty smack.

The orcs gave roars of surprise and turned wildly looking about as two of their company fell with terrible screams .

Legolas had strung another arrow and released it so quickly that the nearest orc dropped dead within seconds.

The orcs were furious and confused but unfortunately they had realized which direction the arrows were coming from. With screams of fury they ran in their direction. Finally realizing the horror that the orcs could see in the dark much better than at least he could, Aragorn took a wild shot and missed as Legolas brought down yet another. They were suddenly at the base of the tree way to soon. "Look it's more of them bloody elves!" One orc roared and held up a crude looking bow as the others whipped out their cruel looking scimitars with malice. Aragorn knew they were goners if that orc had a chance to shoot them trapped up in the tree.

There was only one thing he could do. Hastily stuffing his bow back into its strap on his back he leapt from the branch of the tree. The last thing he saw was the look of shock on the orcs's hideous faces before he felt the impact. The body he landed on caved away and crumpled as he tumbled towards the ground where he did small somersault to break his landing. By the time he had rolled to his feet Aragorn had already brandished his sword and all this had taken place in barely the blink of an eye. He lashed out at the orcs and was joined by Legolas and together they succeeded in finishing off the rest of them without even getting a scratch.

"That was brave of you mellon nîn." Legolas remarked later as he gathered his arrows.

Aragorn looked up from cleaning his sword, pleasantly surprised by the affection that the prince was now showing.

"Thank you. I was very impressed with your archery-even in the dark you never missed an orc."

Legolas shrugged the compliment off but Aragorn could see inside that the elf seemed to appreciate it.

"You would beat the twins any day in shooting I'm sure," Aragorn chuckled.

Legolas looked up and smiled. "You have no idea how many times they have boasted they would beat me-then failed every time."

Aragorn smiled, "I can only imagine."

Legolas straightened from cleaning his weapons. "You know that was probably only a small group of scouts."

"So there could be more of them?"

"There is more of them and we have to find them and hunt them down."

"Not tonight though. Let usget some rest then we can strike out at dawn."

The prince reluctantly agreed and they wandered back to their camp sight tiredly. Aragorn immediately made his bed on the soft ground and laid down. As he was trying to get comfortable he saw Legolas's outline sitting by the fire restlessly staring into the pale darkness around them. He thought about what Legolas had said about Elladan and Elrohir trying to outmatch him in archery. The image brought a small smile to his face along with pleasant memories, which were Aragorn's last thoughts before he drifted off to sleep.

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Thranduil could see past the stars and the darkness that surrounded the world. He could see past the trees and the mountains of Mirkwood. He could see past the comforting looks that the healers gave him and he could see the worried glances that they exchanged when they thought he wasn't looking. Yet he was blind. He had been blind ever since his wife had died and ever since the war of Sauron's defeatwhich had scarred him not only physically but emotionally. He had been blinded to his own son and now he was gone and Thranduil saw nothing. The only thing that was glaringly visible to Thranduil was the wretched truth. His son was dead and it was his fault. It was all _his_ fault. Why had he made Legolas go on border patrol in these dangerous times with only two other companions? Why had he ignored Legolas and consumed his time counting his riches? Gold and gems meant nothing anymore. He only wanted to see his wife and son again so they could be a family once more. 

>

Sellion stole silently into the King's bedchambers. He hastened a glance back at the door. It was closed. Morcion was distracting the servants with another tale of woe about Legolas's tragic death so he could creep in here and begin the next phase of their plan. Sellion stalked forward like a shadow across the marble floor. He then slithered over to the bed and stared coldly down at Thranduil. The King lay stiffly on his back with his eyes _closed. _For a moment he thought the King was dead and he wouldn't have to play this mind game after all but the King's shallow breathing gave away his state of well being. Sellion leaned over and breathed in the King's ear. "King Thranduil, I thought you might want to know the details of Legolas's death." Thranduil shivered and Sellion smiled a malicious smile.

"He left Morcion and I in the first place because he wanted to get away from you. He wanted to get as far away as he could. His judgement was so clouded from his pain that he ran right into the spider's lair. I think I know the person to blame though."

"Who-wha-"

"Legolas is dead your majesty and it's all your fault."

Thranduil groaned, "no."

"Oh yes it is. You looked at him and you saw not your son. You saw only your own wealth. If you had never made him go out into Mirkwood's _dangerous _forest then he never would have died. You have only ignored him for the past hundreds of years. You never cared about what happened to him and you never even bothered to listen to him. You never let a kind word roll off your lips unintentionally. I was watching, always watching and I know you didn't care. Not even about his failures or achievements."

"I didn't mean...Legolas I'm sorry." Thranduil croaked.

"You will open your eyes and you will look at me," Sellion said coldly and his heart pounded with building hate.

Thranduil weakly opened his pale blue eyes and they focused on Sellion only for an instant before rolling blankly to the ceiling.

"I've always hated you since you exiled my father. Everyone hates you, even your own son did. You will leave instruction for the throne to be given to me after you die."

"Yes of course, why not," Thranduil murmured hoarsely.

"Good. You are nothing but a greedy, twisted, pathetic excuse for an elf. Now go fade away into the dark, _my lord_."

His work here was done. Sellion smirked and ran lightly to the door and slipped into the shadows.

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**A/N: Since there is a little reply thing on the reviews people send me I will email you guys back-I promise, but please review though. :)**


	9. Friendship and Despair

I decided to make one long chapter instead of two shorter chapters so here it is so enjoy everyone. Hopefully I got an email out to most of you thanking you for your review but I was unable to access emails of some people's reviews. Sorry for they wait.

Hir nîn-my lord

Aran nîn-my king

Saesa-please

Hannon le-thank you

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The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven.__-John Milton

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_

"Aran nîn?" Vehiron softly knocked on the king's door of solid oak that he noted with distinct pride, was shining so lavishly he could make out his own reflection. He rapped his knuckles against the wood a bit more persuasively this time but there was still no answer from within. Vehiron slowly admitted himself to the room and squinted to get his eyes adjusted to the terribly dim light as he observed the king's surroundings.

Not a single ray of light had the fortune to pool itself in this room of darkness. The sash on the curtains was bound tightly and the fireplace was cold and lifeless and the atmosphere was heavy and dark. He started over to the large bed that took up but a small portion of this normally magnificent chamber. The bed's occupant was buried beneath an avalanche of quilts and covers and it took Vehiron time to figure out which side of the bed his king was facing.

"Hir nîn?" He asked hesitantly. There was not even a flicker of movement. Vehiron sighed and kneeled by the side of the bed, face to face with Thranduil. "I know you can hear me King Thranduil. Please answer me, I need instruction. I need to know what to do."

The bed sheets rippled.

"Vehiron...?"

"Yes your majesty!" Vehiron was right up in the king's face instantly. Thranduil's eyes were still tightly closed and he was pale and exhausted looking.

"I'm fading-and I must leave you with instruction for when I die," he rasped slowly and painfully.

Vehiron felt ill upon these words. "No my lord you cannot fade. We need you, Legolas needs you-" As soon as those words escaped his lips he felt horrified and confounded at his foolishness.

Thranduil's eyes snapped open and he shifted himself into a sitting position. "Legolas is alive? Where is he, I must see him!"

Vehiron felt the hopeful blue orbs which mirrored the prince's penetrate into his own saddened eyes. "No your majesty," he whispered, "but there is a chance that he may yet be alive. We have had no news yet from the scouts..."

The hope died a quick, staggering and painful death and Thranduil seemed to wilt and shrivel back into the depths of his pillows and blankets. Vehiron chided himself for being so foolish because now the king was probably having a health relapse worse than before.

"King Thranduil what should I do?" Vehiron gently reminded.

Thranduil stared blankly at the ceiling as if trying to pierce an invisible demon with his blank empty eyes and for a few hesitant moments Vehiron thought that Thranduil might not have heard him but he was wrong.

"When I die, bestow the royal throne to Sellion."

There was a deep silence which swallowed the room whole and it took Vehiron some time to finally shut his dropped jaw. "O man pedich?" he said, nearly choking on his tongue. "But your majesty by all respect if a circumstance is to occur of the decease of the royal family wouldn't the throne be given to a lord of the court or an advisor?" (what do you speak of)

"So in other words you are inquiring why I am not giving it to you." Thranduil said dryly and Vehiron smiled in spite of himself at the glimpse of the king's old personality.

"Well, yes."

"The throne shall be granted to Sellion," Thranduil stated simply.

"But-"

"You heard me!" Thranduil's voice came out in a strangled rasp and the king's old temper flared up again. Thranduil began coughing and Vehiron could not help but grimace at the dry hacking he was subject too.

"Are you sure you would not like some water?"

"No."

"Why are you doing this? Why are you killing yourself?"

Thranduil did not answer for a few extremely long seconds. "Because I killed him."

"What? That's preposterous aran nîn."

"It's my fault. I sent him out into danger and he didn't want to but I made him go. I was never a father to him. I left it for the servants and I didn't realize it. It's my entire fault, all my fault."

Thranduil was rambling on and Vehiron could only watch and listen to the king babble in stunned silence. _Was this the same king that refused to speak to him early flying off the handle now? _"It's not your fault stop blaming yourself," he finally said gently to the stricken elf.

Strong hands seized Vehiron's shoulders and shook him roughly like a disobedient child. "Saesa daur-" Vehiron managed to gasp through his surprise. (please stop)

"I did it! I am responsible for my own son's death! Please, please just kill me now!"

Thranduil's hands were now groping for his neck and Vehiron felt blind panic edging up his mentality. He knew that his king was not in his right mind and that he must escape the grasp or bad things would happen. He collected himself and unearthed from his many years of training that his greatest weapon right now would be the element of surprise. He had to find a way to loosen Thranduil's grip, enabling him to pry off the king's hands.

Gathering his strength he sprang backwards, bringing his legs up and pushing off the edge of the bed. The trick worked and startled the king, causing Thranduil to completely lose his grasp on Vehiron's neck and shoulders which was not something that Vehiron had been counting on. Without any support and propelling backwards from his jump, Vehiron fell flat on his back. He hastily scrambled to his feet observing that he was not injured, only shaken and he grimaced knowing that there was no way to avoid the soreness that would creep through his body the next day. _Why did I do that?_ He wondered, slightly annoyed at himself. He had come in here to reconcile the king but he had only made matters worse. Plus he had landed _hard_ on the unforgiving ground.

Once he was certain that Thranduil was alright, calm- and once again staring at the ceiling, he slowly straightened up, still in shock at the latest display of the king's behavior and indignantly picked up an old tray of cold food that had been untouched throughout the day. Leaving the darkened room he could not help but conclude that his dear Thranduil was indeed losing his mind. He wearily walked to the kitchens where he knew he would find the person that he wanted to speak with.

On his way marching stiffly down the hall one of the guards came into his presence and announced that a strange black horse had wandered into the kingdom.

"Shall we keep it my lord?"

"Yes, please do so. Hannon le."

Upon arrival Vehiron deposited the stale food on an empty counter and admired the clean, tidy kitchen. There were all kinds of foods being set on dishes and a gigantic pot of something that smelled delicious simmering over a fire. Vehiron was painfully aware of his empty stomach and glanced about the room to make sure no one was about to witness this crime. Slinking over to the pot of stew, he took a sip with a ladle, remembering when he would nick food from the kitchens when he was but an elfling.

"Pardon!"

The voice startled and alarmed Vehiron so greatly that he ended up slopping the stew he was tasting all over himself and stood sheepishly looking at Faelwen who stood in the door way with her hands on her hips. "Why my lord, you seem like an unlikely candidate for kitchen duty but anybody who steals food ends up getting what they deserve."

Vehiron put on his most pleading, exemplary face but when he saw the laughter in the lovely elf's eyes he smiled and apologized for his actions.

"So what brought you down here besides the hunger in your stomach?" Faelwen asked as she stirred the pot of stew and readied supper for the king and his servants.

"Well it's about King Thranduil-"

"He is fading."

"Indeed he is. And he blames Legolas's death on himself."

When Vehiron looked up he saw a fresh wave of tears in her eyes but she hurriedly wiped them away and he himself felt his insides unpleasantly turn cold with sorrow.

"He also mentioned that the throne was to be given to Sellion-"

"No!" She interrupted abruptly. "He couldn't have meant it."

"When a king starts choking you then he by all means is serious."

"Don't you see that something is but wrong with this," She grasped his hand and placed it over his heart. "Doesn't your heart cry a warning?"

"Well it does seem a bit odd but he was quite adamant about his decision."

"Vehiron!" Faelwen said shrilly and Vehiron could indeed tell that she was extremely serious by the verbal use of his name. "There is something terribly wrong and Sellion and Morcion have become the wielders of darkness. I ernil ú ne gurth. I have to believe this even though lies are being spun faster than the spiders can manage." (the prince is not in death)

"How can you say that?" Vehiron demanded angrily. "Can you not trust your own people? You accuse the brothers without any evidence and yet you have known them all your life. You are their only kin left. And the Prince is dead! They brought back his weapons days ago. I helped train Legolas and if there is one thing I came to know is that he never would ever part with his weapons. Accept it, he is dead."

"Listen to yourself!" Faelwen shouted. "How can you begin to be angry with me when you are blinded by their deceit? I don't care that I am related to them. They are still vicious and power hungry and it does not change a thing that their father who was like that too was my brother. He deserved to be exiled out of the kingdom since he was a traitor! And if you have no faith and no hope left in Legolas than why do you keep insisting to the King that there is still hope. Do you understand that you are the one that needs to keep hearing that, not the King?"

"Like I said before the Prince is dead unless he has been spared from the hands of death which I find highly unlikely. Mirkwood is a forest of evil and of death; it's not like what it used to be ere thousands of years ago. And until Sellion and Morcion, your nephews I might add, are proven guilty of ill deeds, you will have no place in this kingdom to falsely accuse them. I would expect much better from you. The King himself always held you in high standards and it is time you start living up to them." Vehiron said coldly and then he stomped out of the room leaving Faelwen feeling worse than ever.

She sat there on a hard wooden chair clinging to any memory could grasp of Legolas and all the while she couldn't prevent the tears of sorrow and hopelessness that slipped down her face, reminding her of pure despair.

At the same time this was happening, miles and miles away in the forest of Mirkwood a messenger had just been sent with joyful tidings. The prince had been found alive and well by the patrol sent to return his body. The messenger, a wood elf who was the swiftest of the all the elves in the party was sprinting through the forest and was the one sent to bring the good news to the palace and then ordered to return with haste. With Legolas, a companion had been found-a human of all beings and he was said to be not foe of Prince Legolas nor acquaintance but friend. _Imagine that, _the messenger chortled and with the brushings of leaves he was gone and lost into the forgotten boundary of speed and good will to do his duty.

* * *

_-To find a friend one must close one eye; To keep him, two. Norman Douglas_

* * *

"Legolas," a fellow wood elf said joyfully and clasped the prince's hand in his own giving it a hearty squeeze. Legolas smiled at his people as they gathered in a loose semi circle around him. He was vaguely aware of Estel, or Aragorn, whichever name he went by now, at his heels. 

"Legolas you are thought by all to be in shadow." Somebody said and there were several murmurings of agreement among the group.

"Alas," Legolas said grimly in the common tongue, "I was supposed to be dead a few days ago but I was lucky enough to evade death by-" Legolas hastened a look back at the human who gave a warning glance back at him obviously wanting to protect his identity. "-by Strider of Bree."

There was a hard silence in the group and the forest as the elves critically observed this slightly rugged young man. Aragorn regarded them and met each of their eyes in turn and then lowered his head respectfully. Not one elf returned this gesture.

"We have not come into contact with men for years," said an elf that pushed his way into the front of the group, "and I say that it has been for the better."

Legolas recognized him as an elf he had come into little contact with over the years and stared coolly back at him. "Times will change Tenéthon, they always do," he said softly and turned his attention back to the man behind him. "This man saved my life from the spiders of this forest. Not one but all of you owe you him your respect for there is far more here than meets the eye."

The elves listened to Legolas's voice but Aragorn could tell that it would take more that the assurance of their prince to convince them of his worth and value as a warrior and a person.

They had happened upon the patrol, or had the patrol happened upon them? It was a difficult to say because Legolas and he had been ruthlessly searching for orcs all that morning since the breaking of dawn and they had simply run into each other inadvertently. He himself had thought that they were orcs at first, but elves are just to light and graceful to be mistaken as orcs and Legolas had laughed at him for he had sensed his kin's presence over the other side of the river that wove it's way in and out of the trees far before Aragorn had seen them. And when it was clear to Aragorn that these were indeed wood elves Legolas confided with Aragorn that it was the first time he had ever heard of his people being confused with orcs.

The elves had given a shout from across the bank and had thrown a rope end over which Legolas had tied securely to a tree. The elves nimbly ran over the rope, across the river and onto the land instantaneously without one slip or trip. Now the elves were overjoyed to see their prince alive and well. The leader of this patrol remarked that Sellion and Morcion had arrived at the palace ere three days ago and had claimed Legolas dead; taken by the spiders of Mirkwood.

Legolas said nothing but listened quietly with a slight frown on his face. He couldn't tell about the attempted murder by the brothers to his people. The truth against lies doesn't sound believable when neither sources are both present nor could he expect his people to have to turn against their own people. No, this was personal and it would be settled personally.

When he asked about his father the captain regarded him sadly. "Before we left, the rumor was that the king was not doing well and had been his room ever since the news of your death."

Legolas felt very troubled at this report and he couldn't ignore the little warning in his head that screamed _don't be too late! _But he brushed the small voice away and left it lingering there for the cold, dark nights that would surely lure it back in.

In turn Legolas told the elves about finding the slaughtered patrol and killing the orc scouts the last night. There were furious outbursts as the news was finished and sorrow and anger showed on all faces.

"We will find them and we will kill them!" An elf crowed and the rest including Legolas and Aragorn acknowledged their agreement.

"Are you ready to travel Legolas?" The captain of the group asked respectfully.

Legolas looked back at Aragorn who nodded. "Yes we shall make haste."

The patrol set off quickly through the brush and followed the quiet river. After a few moments Aragorn confided to Legolas that he was ravenously thirsty. "Is this water drinkable?"

Before Legolas could answer a nearby elf turned and said, "Nay, only elves can drink this water. It runs with the magic of the wood elves. Anybody who is not an elf will be put into a deep sleep."

Aragorn turned to Legolas to verify this information and Legolas reluctantly nodded, avoiding eye contact.

"How far away are we from the palace?" He asked to no one in particular but in an attempt to change the subject.

"About ten leagues west and three leagues south," Legolas answered quietly. A few of his kin gawked at him for the prince was precisely accurate and after all, he had been wandering in the forest for days.

"How do you get there? Do you just follow the river?"

Again the same elf, Tenéthon answered the question. "Only an elf can find Mirkwood."

"That's not entirely true," Legolas pointed out. "Mithrandir and others have managed to find the palace."

"Mithrandir is a wizard, and the others that you speak of must have been brought there before. No human should ever set foot inside of the palace gates-"

"That is enough Tenéthon," Legolas interrupted angrily. To all the elves he added, "Strider is different than other humans. He listens and he feels what's around him. He is not blinded by deceit and greed and he is a skilled warrior."

"You didn't have to do that." Aragorn said quietly as they tramped on through the forest a little while later. He was truly taken back by the elf's unwavering loyalty and friendship. He could hardly believe that this was the same elf that hated and detested him days ago defending him from his own people now. He knew deep in his heart that he had found a friend for life. "Is all what he said true?"

"Yes," said Legolas as they walked through the forest a little ways behind the group.

"Oh, so I see."

"Here I still have some water in my pack and you may have it. I am not thirsty."

Aragorn gratefully accepted the water and drank it quickly.

"Lasto beth nîn Aragorn," Legolas whispered so softly that Aragorn himself could scarcely hear it. "One day you will become far greater than any of us so don't let what he said make you feel badly." (listen to my word)

Aragorn looked at Legolas and shook his head, completely bewildered at the elf's words as he mentally shrugged off what the prince said. "I am going to be a ranger; you know that, I already told you."

Legolas smiled a mysterious smile. "Sometimes fate has an odd way of grasping you right between its hands where it wants you. We will see, one day we shall see."

After many hours of walking, stopping to talk about direction, arguing and regrouping, the small band of elves and the man decided to stop in the falling darkness. A fire was built and the party divided itself up into small groups clustered around the light and warmth of the fire talking amongst them quietly. Aragorn and Legolas chose a place father away from the fire and they talked about many things but finally they came upon the subject of their meeting.

"How did you get trapped in that web Legolas?" Aragorn asked curiously.

Legolas thought for a moment before he answered and then relived the whole tale about the brothers' treachery and deceit and Aragorn was left feeling more empathy for the blonde elf than ever.

"I'm sorry that I was short and angry with you," Legolas apologized.

"There is nothing to forgive," Aragorn said, really meaning it. "Why won't you tell the other elves?"

"Because I don't want to force them to turn against their own people until I settle the score with Sellion and Morcion. This is very personal, after having to endure hundreds of years of their malice then you would feel this way too." Legolas's voice had become hoarser and his eyes sparkled coldly making Aragorn realize just how far the elf had been pushed over the edge.

"I am tired," Aragorn finally admitted, "I think I will turn in for some rest."

Legolas nodded and watched the rest of the elves in their quiet conversations. "Most of them will sleep in the trees. But I will remain on the ground."

"You do not have too," Aragorn said.

"But I shall, you probably would be uncomfortable sleeping in a tree and I really don't mind. The ground is a part of me too, as is the trees and the stars."

"Hannon le Legolas." Aragorn turned to get up but sat back down again.

"Oh and Strider of Bree? Explain yourself."

Legolas laughed lightly, "That was yet an example of my quick thinking."

"I suppose when I venture to Bree I shall be known as Strider."

"Yes you shall and I can hardly wait to see the faces of Elladan and Elrohir when they hear this…"

* * *

Well I hope that the duration and content of this chapter made up for the miserably long time it took for me to post this. Sorry about that guys. I appreciate reviews. 


	10. Death's Shadow

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the bad boys lol.

All right, I wrote a long chapter in a short time! Enjoy everybody.

* * *

_The task of destruction is infinitely easier than that of creation.- Borden Deal_

* * *

"Prince Legolas come quickly!" 

Legolas shook off all traces of sleep, scrambled to his feet and ran quickly deeper into the woods where the cry of a stricken elf was coming from. What he saw made his stomach leap up into his throat and plummet back down again. The head of an elf was stuck through a stake in the ground.

Tunéthon was kneeling by the head, softly retching. Legolas sensed Aragorn skid to a halt behind him and take in the scene with naked dread. Legolas turned towards Aragorn and bowed his head sorrowfully. "This is what my people have to face all the time," he whispered. "After naneth died I promised myself that I would stop it, that I would keep my people safe but I have already failed. Look at this destruction, look at this loss…"

"Legolas," Aragorn interrupted softly and shook his head at his saddened friend. He couldn't bear to see Legolas do this to himself. "Alas no matter what promise you made, it couldn't be kept by anybody."

Legolas eyed him coldly back for a few long moments then wearily nodded and lowered his gaze.

Meanwhile the rest of the elves had crashed into the clearing and stood glowering at the unmistakable warning that had been left for them.

Legolas clenched his hands into fists and stared right into the eyes of his dead kinsman. The elf's face was twisted in an unimaginable nightmare of horror and pain. The look on the elf's face made him feel ill; made him want to join Tunéthon and heave up the remains of what was in his stomach. The air had become tinted with the smell of blood and gore and the atmosphere was extremely quiet.

All of a sudden Legolas realized the danger they were all in. "Check for scouts!" He hissed through clenched teeth and slipped through the forest as quietly as a shadow. He wafted through the trees and slid through the bushes searching for any kind of a trail. He noticed footprints in the soft mud of a sole orc. The tracks were recent and the beast was probably watching him right now. He followed the tracks and took in everything he noticed, storing it for future reference. Finally he stopped in a tiny clearing and stood there quietly.

Legolas slowed time down and waited patiently for the give away movement that would alert him of where the orc was. He heard the tiniest sigh of a bow being held and the smallest friction of an arrow being fit and the unmistakable stretch of a bow string. Still he stood there silently, waiting for the projectile attack. This was how he had slain the mightiest of warriors, waiting for them to kill him, to make that mistake. He could sense the orcs muscles bunching up slowly from the force of drawing the arrow back as the world still turned very slowly. He now knew which direction the arrow would come from and he waited patiently to dodge it.

Suddenly the young edain bounded into the midst of the silent war, obliterating Legolas's focus. The arrow was released with a sharp twang only seconds after Legolas registered Aragorn's presence. Legolas launched himself at Aragorn and tackled the shocked human right as the arrow whizzed over their heads. The pair fell hard to the ground but Legolas was off Aragorn as soon as the law of gravity allowed him. The elf whipped out his knives and rushed towards the orc's direction, dodging another arrow as he descended on the final blow. There was a scuffle through the underbrush, a shriek and then silence.

"Legolas!" Aragorn yelled and picked himself off the ground, moving as quickly as he could, still trying to get the air back into his lungs. The brush stirred and Aragorn waited tensely even though he knew the outcome of the clash. After a moment though, when nothing happened he crashed towards the pair.

"Where are the rest of them?" Legolas was leaning over the orc with the demeanor of anything but benign.

Aragorn realized with a start that the orc was still alive. It had been mortally wounded by Legolas's knives but it was alive, barely. He had never seen anybodyinjure another being with the attempt of getting information out of it while it died slowly. It fascinated and disturbed him at the same time.

The orc stared up at the prince with hatred in its yellow eyes. The prince had cut deeply into the side of its neck and it was only a matter of time before it would die. The orc choked up black blood and mustered enough energy to spit at Legolas. Then it was completely still. Aragorn looked questioningly at Legolas but Legolas only glared back at the orc and ran his knife over the other side of its neck, drawing a stream of thick black blood.

The orc focused its eyes on Legolas for the last time and spoke low and with deeper hatred that could shame even the most evil devils. "There are many of dem elf! Mirkwood 'as lost already! Long live the orc!"

The mad light in the orcs eyes was fading but it was muttering in its own tongue insanely under its breath. There was a blinding flash of metal and the orc died instantly by the fiercely glinting knives in the hands of Legolas.

The disgusted prince stood up quickly, spit at the creature's feet and brushed past Aragorn without a word.

Aragorn took one last glance at the mangled orc and then hurried after Legolas's retreating figure.

The other elves were rushing towards them but Legolas held his hand up to silence any questions.

"I killed the spy and the only informationit would betray was that there were others, many of them still in the forest. I could tell he came a long way so he was obviously sent to only watch our reaction to the death of Berethil. Berethil was too skilled to beslain by only one orc so there must have been a party of seven or eight to overcome a warrior of his skill. Does anyone know when or why he left the group this morning?"

There was silence as the elves waited for somebody to step forward with the answer and finally Tunéthon did.

"He said he was going hunting."

Legolas glared at Tunéthon and the elf seemed to shrink under his hard gaze. "Why didn't you go with him?"

"I offered to Legolas, but he told me no and left before I could say anything else."

Legolas nodded, "I understand but from now on nobody can leave by themselves, it is just too dangerous. This is the second party of scouts I have come across. The forest must be swimming with them. Somewhere there is a very large group of orcs that are gathering this information the scouts are giving them. They will strike soon so we must move and find them. Hopefully the messenger that was sent will come back with more elves but even if more do not come we do not have the time to go back to the palace for reinforcements so we must stand and fight. We cannot to afford to lose any more of us so we all must stay together or we will be picked off like flies. Let us leave everyone." Legolas finished and the elves nodded and rushed without question to pack the few remaining supplies.

Aragorn just stood there dumbfounded at the full measure of what they were up against and Legolas stared back at him still trembling slightly. Finally when Aragorn opened his mouth to speak Legolas broke his intense gaze. "You saved my life, I am so sorry I just rushed in there-"

"It is alright Aragorn. Saving lives is what happens in battle regardless of if it is right or wrong to save those particular lives but think nothing of it." He turned to leave but then spoke again. "Although I do suggest that next time you find your feet faster Estel, because the orc could have killed me and if you were still on the ground then you would have been in serious trouble."

Aragorn laughed ruefully. "Trouble and I are never far apart."

Legolas let a small smile dance across his face. "I'm sure the twins were part of the reason."

Aragorn nodded with a thoughtful smirk.

"Come now friend."

So Aragorn followed Legolas and they quietly trudged after the line of elves leading them undeniably to more danger that awaited them.

* * *

Sellion was anxiously scanning the trees with narrowed blue eyes. Anytime now the patrol would be returning and it was vital that he was the first to hear their news. 

"Sellion they aren't returning today," Morcion yawned from a large tree bough he was sprawled across.

Sellion only rolled his eyes at his brother and continued his vigil. Now that he thought about the issue he hated to admit it but his brother was right. He had sent the patrol in the wrong direction so it would take them a long while to find nothing. He smirked to himself but his younger brother snapped him out of gloating.

"This is so dull."

"Speak to the trees then," Sellion snapped. "You always were good at that."

Morcion glared at his brother and made faces behind his back until Sellion turned with a jubilant expression on his face.

"Do it and converse to the trees to find out where the patrol is."

Morcion blinked. "Aye, I will trygwador nîn."

Morcion carefully laid his palms flat on the tree and felt the rough bark against his skin. He closed his eyes and tried to blind himself to the entire world except this very oak tree he was sitting on. He stirred uncomfortably for he was finding it immensely difficult to ignore Sellion's gaze of anticipation that he sensed even with his eyes closed.

"Where is the patrol?" He asked the old oak softly aware that the sounds that slipped out of his lips were neither elvish nor the common tongue. It was a gentle questioning breeze in the crisp autumn air. The whispers that flitted through his head were fuzzy and difficult to interpret. But he drew his focus back and concentrated hard. The whispers grew clearer until he found that he could pull apart strands and identify the sounds.

_Hello young elf_, the tree greeted politely._ I cannot perceive where the groups of elves are that you speak of but there have been whispers amongst the other trees of an elf running fast towards the palace. - Nay, not Prince Legolas, Morcion, I don't know why you seem relieved at that, the prince always would speak with me and we would have nice long chats-have patience my young friend, I will see what I can find out. _

Morcion felt the trees roots stretch and connect with other trees in a greeting, a question. He felt more information pass through his head, not information that he wanted to know but things that trees knew. The amount of sunlight reaching their leaves and the poor drainage in the ground and the bird nests in their hollows. Quite suddenly he saw a fleeting glance of an elf sprinting through the forest. The vision was incredibly brief but now Morcion had the knowledge he had set out to get.

_Wait, there is one thing you should know!_ The tree said quickly and seriously._ The trees are fearful and the animals have been scared away. Darkness is prowling the forest which will bring-_

"Do you know where they are?"

Morcion groaned and slipped off the tree branch as Sellion moved to the side to watch his brother fall flat on the ground.

"Speak to me!"

Morcion glared back up at his brother as sporadic headaches forced him to rub his temple tenderly, and the warning that the tree had given was lost and forgotten in the pounding of his head.

"Yes dear brother, I am not sure exactly where the patrol is but I know that a messenger is coming towards the palace right now."

Sellion bit his lip at this piece of news, which could only mean that the patrol had found something. _Probably something unimportant that they just want to bother the palace about, _he decided.

He looked his brother straight in the eye and their bland blue eyes met. "Where is the messenger?"

Morcion uncomfortably broke the intense gaze and looked indecisively into the forest. "I only was able to perceive a glance of him but I am sure that he was at least a day away from getting here…"

Sellion looked with disgust at his brother. "Morcion uncertainty brings fear and fear is weakness. Don't be weak; our adar would have not wanted a weak son."

Morcion glared fiercely back at Sellion. "Why must you keep bringing our ada back into this?"

"Nauthannen le aníra nîn veriadgwador nîn. If that is so then treat me with some respect Morcion. Our father is a memory we were supposed to hold." (I thought you desire my protection my brother)

_Screams pierced the warm summer night as fire greedily devoured the trees and grass. The darkness was blotted out by the savage burning flames that raged out of control. Sellion felt fear consuming him and he held onto his little brother's hand tightly. They were running for their lives and he was practically dragging little Morcion's toes through the dry, crackling grass. _

"_Where is naneth?" Morcion sobbed as they sprinted away from the pursuing flames, magnified by the dry, hot air. "She went back to go look for ada." Sellion cracked. "She said go to the palace and they would keep us safe. Hurrygwador!" _

_The brothers ran and stumbled through the brush until they reached the doors of the palace. The great doors were solemnly locked and Sellion banged with his fists on the door. "Edro hi ammen!" (open now for us)He screamed desperately and threw his small body against the door. _

_Quite suddenly the doors flew open and both of them staggered in only to be shoved to the side as elves darted out with buckets of water and clothing to put out the terrible fire. The very King of Mirkwood himself was standing in the midst of all the pandemonium and in his eyes were great sadness and worry. All of a sudden the two young brothers were noticed. _

"_They came from the fire!" Somebody exclaimed at their sooty and bedraggled appearance. Sellion felt himself break down with fatigue and unchecked terror and he cried and babbled through tears that the homes at the edge of the palace were on fire and how several elves had been screaming and then gone silent, and finally how he and his brother had run all the way here. _

"_But you are not but 200 years old and the little one looks only 5o," was a servants exclamation and Sellion nodded his head and held his weeping brother close._

_The king backed away with weariness leaned against a wall farther away from the excitement the fire was causing. _

_But nobody other than Sellion noticed the dark, thin shadow that was creeping towards the king as stealthy as a wolf. Sellion watched the figure with glazed eyes and wondered intrigued, what would happen when the figure reached the king. A knife glinted dangerously in the shadow's hand and still Sellion watched with horror and anticipation for what was yet to come. _

"_Ada?" A small voice asked sleepily. King Thranduil turned towards his tiny son wearily shuffling through the doorway just as the stranger attacked. With a shout Thranduil ducked in the nick of time to avoid the attacker's wild stab with the knife. The king deftly caught the stranger's hand with the knife in it and fought for control of the weapon. Although with the full attention of the other elves the attacker was fighting a hopeless battle. He was pinned down to the ground, overwhelmed by brute force and the clothing was pulled down to reveal the face of Sellion's father. _

"_Ada," Sellion gasped through a strangled voice that was not his own. His father was still struggling like a wild beast under the force of the elves that held him down. Their eyes met for a few long moments but there was no recognition in his father's eyes, only wild rage and hate. Sellion couldn't believe this was happening. The person he had looked up the most too in his life had let him down. But what frightened him even more than his adar's hate and treachery, was the piece of himself that admired his father's boldness and furtiveness. _

_All he could do was grip his brother's hand more tightly and squeeze his eyes shut in the uproar of the room. The sound of metal drew his attention back to the center of the room as the king drew a sword and leveled it over his adar's head, preparing to end the life of the traitor but in an instant of pure instinct Sellion threw himself in front of the king and screamed to let his father live. Thranduil's face was red and furious but it softened slightly and he drew his sword back in its sheath. _

_Later it came out that night it was his adar who had set the fire and planned to murder the king. A number of elves had perished in the flames including his mother. The traitor was banished from Mirkwood forever and he was never seen again._

Sellion had kindled the hate that his father had given him, the only token of remembrance he had. The fire not only burned on that terrible night. The fire burned within his very heart and soul. His father had been a lie Sellion's entire life, but now Sellion knew why his ada had committed the treachery. He had done it for his sons, so they would understand the burn of ambition. Morcion had always been the uncertain one, the weak son. It was Sellion's job to do the deeds of treachery. And the time had finally come and he had known it would come ever since he felt the anticipation for the shadow to knife the king. It had come and it was time to take his life into his own hands.

"Sellion what do you remember? I only remember the fire and the hall overflowing with elves…"

Sellion narrowed his eyes and stared straight into his brother's eyes, stared straight into his heart. "It is unimportant Morcion. I remember little anyways."

Some things are just better left unsaid.

The brothers traveled through the forest in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Sellion was uneasy; he could feel a stranger's eyes on him. Silently he motioned to Morcion to climb the nearest tree. Once they had settled themselves securely in the great branches Sellion anxiously searched for their stalker.

"Well it 'tis a shame that dear Legolas is dead."

Morcion understood Sellion's intention for he had felt the uneasiness of his brother and he spoke loudly back. "To bad he took a tumble into the spider's web eh Sellion?"

Sellion looked in horror back at him and Morcion realized the mistake that he made. But this slip up had given Sellion what he wanted for he had seen the figure move as soon as those words came out of Morcion's mouth.

The figure who was dressed in a dark green cloak was impossible to recognize and it was now movingaway slowly, obviously to return to the palace. Sellion could now see that Morcion had spotted the shadow also.

"Shoot him," Sellion whispered coldly. Morcion stared in shock back at his brother.

"I can't Sellion, I won't," Morcion was now panicking and Sellion hated him even more for this latest display of weakness.

"Do it," he snarled and placed his bow in his brother's hands.

Morcion stared at the bow and closed his eyes. "Fine," he sighed dejectedly. He was defeated and his brother knew it. He grasped one of his own arrows and strung it back taking careful and quick aim at the disappearing figure and let go. He let go of everything including the arrow. He let go of his fear, his doubt, his anger and his conscience.

The arrow buried itself in the figure's neck with a sickening thwack. The person crumpled to the ground and was lost from view in the dense foliage. Sellion leaped down from the tree and rushed towards the victim with Morcion close at his heels. The body was laying face down on the ground.

"Nice shot brother," Sellion praised with a satisfied smirk and any other time Morcion would feel accomplished and grateful for his brother's praise but now he just felt ill.

Blood was squirting profusely from the fatal shot in the neck. "Let's see who it is." Sellion said with anticipation brimming in his voice.

He slowly rolled the light figure over and stopped, scrambling back with surprise.

"Oh no," Morcion breathed, completely horrified. "What have I done?"

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I wrote this quickly while I was supposed to be doing my homework so there probably is lots of punctuation errors. So please review and we can break 100 reviews for this story! That would be really cool. I really wouldn't have gotten this far without your great support guys. Any guesses to who was shot? Tell me in your review lol. Thanks. 


	11. Pain

A/N: I am so sorry for my erratic updating. I feel bad.:( But this chapter is long and I hope it's worth it.

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_**The best way out is always through. - Robert Frost

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**_

The dead, blank eyes of Faelwen stared back into the gaze of the brothers. There was devouring silence in the forest that muffled the world with its captive oppress until it was unmercifully shattered when Sellion snorted in disgust and turned to walk away. He turned around though to peer at his statue of a brother. The statue melted into the living form of his brother and Morcion turned to face him with eyes of endless guilt and doubt. The arrow was buried through the esophagus and windpipe of the unfortunate victim.

"She would have gone back to the palace gwador nîn and told everybody. Besides," he added heartlessly, "she deserved it."

Morcion stared back at him wordlessly and Sellion saw the same face of his terrified, lost brother that had begged for guidance the night of the fire so many long years ago.

"Every journey begins with a step and you have taken to the right way of our ada. I myself am farther down that path but I will still lead you for a ways."

Sellion looked expectantly back at his brother and waited for his Morcion to agree like he always did. Although to his surprise Morcion shook his head slowly at first and then frantically backed away.

"Sellion I cannot do it. I just murdered one of our own people! I cannot follow you or ada. I just can't…" He trailed off looking for any trace of understanding in his kin, anything left untouched by the fire that had devoured his brother but the malice and hate that Sellion held him with was anything but understanding. "You do not understand-"

"You're right brother; I don't understand your weakness."

In an instant Sellion closed the gap between his brother and himself. Morcion defied his brother and did not give any ground. Unfortunately this was not enough to prevent the wrath of one as far down the path of hatred that Sellion was. Sellion caught him by the throat in a vice like grip and held a knife steadfastly against his brother's neck.

"No, you are my brother-" Morcion gasped weakly.

"And for that I am sorry," Sellion spat and thrust the knife upward into Morcion's jaw. There was a moment of confusion as crimson blood flooded out openly of the neck wound and Morcion thrashed in his brother's grip and even Sellion found he was lost in the surge of violence. Quite suddenly Morcion went limp and blinked slowly and laboriously as tears of betrayal poured out of his closing eyes. Sellion stood up and turned to walk away from the dying elf that lay on the bloodstained grass. His gaze fell to the scarlet blood that had spilled onto his hands-a murderer's hands.

_Odd that two lives were lost today, _he mused and crushed the fear and the sorrow that whipped his very soul. And as a blood red sunset bathed the world in its agony, Sellion walked away leaving the only friend he had ever had dying in a small clearing of blood, tears and betrayal.

Legolas, Aragorn and the other elves were making excellent progress through the forest. They had discovered the trail of the orcs and were tracking them at a quite a fast pace. Aragorn himself could even decipher the path and he and Legolas led the group as quickly as possible through the brambles. It was not hard to track this group of orcs for they had left deep scars in the land-smoldering trees and flattened foliaged. Legolas and the other elves looked troubled and Aragorn heard later it was because the trees were in pain and the whole forest ached of these malicious creatures but they could not pause because of the pressing matter so they continued on, racing the darkness to follow their prey.

Legolas felt his nostrils prick as the harsh smell of smoke dizzied his senses. He glanced back behind him and noted others including Aragorn also smelled the smoke judging by the grimness of their faces. He led the way quickly through the brush, not knowing exactly what they would do when the situation unfolded. There were no streams or creeks nearby and if the fire was raging out of control then they would all be in danger. He hastily brushed aside the negative thoughts for they would do nothing but trouble him.

They were close now. Thick smoke was wafting through the trees trying to escape the dense forest. Legolas pulled off his bow and fitted an arrow, not sure of what they would find. He and the others broke through the last bit of foliage and rushed into clearing.

Trees were strewn broken and cut down carelessly and campfires dotted the makeshift clearing still lit and dangerous. Flames were already licking several trees, starting from careless sparks that lazily danced from the campfires.

"Put out the fires!" Somebody yelled as they scrambled over to stop the flames.

Legolas stamped out a few of the campfires and then stood in the middle of the clearing, turning with his bow raised. Something wasn't right.

He turned to look back on his elves and was rewarded for his caution with the dreaded sound of a bow twang. One of the elves gasped and keeled over to the ground with a barbed arrow emerging from his chest.

"It's an ambush!" He heard Aragorn shout and the human's sword gleamed as it was ripped into action. Legolas ran forward and fired an arrow towards the orcs that were emerging from the thickets. They were coming from every direction, pulling out their scabbards and knives and some with bows and barbed arrows came loping towards them as others stood from afar and aimed for them. They were so greatly outnumbered it would be considered by anyone an impossible fight. For one brief second, Aragorn's and Legolas's eyes met and Legolas saw the terror in the young human's eyes at the dire situation they were in but he smiled grimly when he saw Legolas and raised his sword and charged towards their attackers.

Suddenly the air was thick with arrows both from the orcs and the elves. There were screams of orcs and an occasional cry of pain from one of the elves. Legolas ducked and dodged his way through the stream of projectiles and fired many his own. From the corner of his eye he watched Aragorn slash down the brutes, dashing and parrying with incredible skill for one his age. Time passed by slowly as it always does in battle and Legolas was not sure if it was every second or every minute that he heard one of his people fall. But each time the sickening realization hit him he did not look back. Instead he channeled all of his focus, all of his pain and all of his anger on the orcs. He had drawn his knives awhile ago and they flashed through the air with preciseness that could not be matched by his opponents. He was struggling against a small group of orcs that had clustered together and were attacking him from all sides at once. A knife sliced through his shoulder and he hissed in pain but slaughtered the orcs almost as quickly as he had been killing before the new wound.

He heard Aragorn cry out in pain and his focus abandoned him as he searched for where the human was. As his eyes scanned the battle field for a few brief seconds and he noticed for the first time the bodies of elves scattered on the blood soaked ground. There was only one other elf alive and fighting in the midst everything and he looked weak. Finally he noticed Aragorn sprawled on the ground as the elf that stood over him took the blows and feebly tried to defend the pair of them. With horror Legolas struggled over to where the last of his friends were to help them. The orcs had thinned out considerably but the masses that swarmed around them never seemed to end. With a cry of rage he relentless hued orc after orc and cut his way until he finally reached the elf and man.

Aragorn stumbled up to his feet and winced as the cut as the cut on his back burned. Soon he joined the battle and fought hard to redeem himself of his rest. With a strangled shout the elf that had protected him against the storm of the orcs collapsed to the ground. Aragorn was about to stoop over to check if he was still alive but Legolas broke through the knot of orcs just then. "Leave him Estel, he is dead," the prince said forlornly and Aragorn noticed that he had blood pooling from a shoulder wound and many scratches and cuts on his pale face and arms. All of this information was exchanged in a breath of a moment for there was still about half a dozen orcs left that were blood thirsty to kill the only survivors left.

Legolas threw himself into the lot of them and the clanging of blades soon rang out through the clearing. Aragorn found his legs rooted to the bloody ground as he watched his friend battle the remaining orcs. His sense screamed to go aid Legolas but his body was just too weary. He felt a feeling of foreboding creep up his paralyzed frame. Almost in slow motion he turned around only to see a large orc standing behind him, arms raised with a rusty bloody battle axe. Aragorn gaped for a few valuable seconds that he knew he should have reacted too. With a roar the beast swung the axe which whistled over emptiness above his shoulders. Aragorn sprang out of his wild instinctive duck and jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding another reckless swing of the axe. The leapt backwards had unbalanced him and he teetered uncertainly on his heels unable to do a thing as the orc took a final stroke with the axe towards his neck.

Suddenly a body barreled into him and he found himself sprawled out on the ground. He looked up and saw Legolas fighting the gigantic orc where he had been seconds later. A large axe against two small knives seemed like hardly a fair battle but Legolas was doing extremely well. A certain aura seemed to glow brighter from within the elf and it stirred a memory that had been forgotten, one which Aragorn could not quite identify.

He scrambled over painfully to get out of the way of the elf and orc but Aragorn anticipated the movements incorrectly. With a leap back to escape the wild orc's weapon, Legolas bashed into Aragorn who had inadvertently moved right into the path of the elf. This disruption of the flow of battle was enough for the orc to deliver the deadly blow. The axe caught Legolas full in the chest and stomach, bringing the elf to the ground with a horrible moment of stunned silence among the clearing. The orc growled and turned its burning yellow eyes on Aragorn.

Unsuppressed rage burst inside of him like a broken dam and he directed all of his energy and focus into killing this foul beast. They both attacked each other intensely, both fighting with incredible strength, both the last of their side standing. The orc made a quick stroke of the axe swinging downwards towards his head and Aragorn blocked it efficiently. Red blood dripped onto his face off of the axe and Aragorn thrust the axe back with unrestrained violence. He felt everything he had been taught in Imladris waft back to him, like all the knowledge had been given to him yesterday. A simple trick came into his mind yet he doubted it would work but nothing else seemed to be actually working presently. Aragorn kicked the orc's shin hard, using that distraction to grab the handle of the axe with one hand and using his sword with the other hand to swing a blow towards the head. This maneuver worked and the orc stumbled back dazed as Aragorn took its life with another stroke of his blade.

His ears were left ringing as the final blood was spilt and fatigue raided his body once more. A weak, rattled breathing caught his attention and he turned to Legolas. The elf lay where he had fallen and had made no attempt whatsoever to move. This greatly worried Aragorn and he forgot all of his own injuries and exhaustion to give his complete attention to his friend.

"Legolas?" He asked worriedly. The elf was making no movements and his breathing was shallow. He gently rolled the elf over onto his back and grimaced at the wound. Blood was spilling profusely out of the injury and it looked very deep.

"Legolas," he asked more insistently this time but the warrior did not answer. Sighing he tried to remember exactly everything Elrond had instructed him, wishing he had spent more of those long summers actually listening to the prestigious healer. Aragorn bandaged the wound with some clothing and applied hard pressure to stop the bleeding. He wasn't sure how long he stayed there as he tried to stop the bleeding. Minutes became hours and hours became painful reminders of his back injury. He couldn't reach the wound so it remained uncared for. Still he monitored the elf's breathing and heartbeat every so often, checked the wound and bandaged the other minor injuries. During that time he took care of the other elves bodies and then carried Legolas to a different location, away from the horror of battle.

It was almost seven hours later, Aragorn surmised, when Legolas began stirring. The elf blearily opened his eyes and in an instant Aragorn was leaning over him. "How do you feel mellon nîn?"

Legolas answered slowly and painfully, "I feel awful. It hurts so-" He couldn't prevent a hiss of pain as Aragorn carefully began lifting up the bandages and peered at the wound. Legolas watched Aragorn through his foggy vision. "Are you thirsty?" he asked and Legolas answered with a tiny nod of his head. Truthfully he was ravenously thirsty. He would have done anything for a drink of water but he knew Aragorn had none so he did not ask.

The world was beginning to spin and soon the only thing he could make out was Aragorn. The man looked stricken and pale. "Legolas there are some shards of blade in the wound." He said slowly and deliberately. Legolas closed his eyes and inwardly sighed. "I have to take them out."

"I know," Legolas agreed softly. He was suddenly very cold despite the cloak that already draped over half his body. He felt his teeth begin to chatter which brought him even more pain. Aragorn seemed to notice this too and looked even more concerned if that was possible but he didn't say anything. The man sized up the wound for a few long seconds and then carefully began fishing out the pieces of axe blade. Legolas screwed his eyes shut and clenched his chattering teeth. The pain was incredibly intense and it took all his self control to not cry out in pain. He couldn't help himself though as pain coursed through his entire body. The last thing he saw was Aragorn's desperate face before he gave into blackness.

Aragorn checked the elf's breathing and heartbeat just after he passed out. Wearily he bandaged the wound once more, wishing next time he lifted up the bandages it wouldn't be there. The elf looked peaceful in his unconscious state despite the cold hard truth that was biting Aragorn hard although he didn't want to admit it. Legolas was in shock and there was an axe shard very deep that he could not reach which was probably causing it.

He studied the elf and looked up ahead of him at the road that he would take. His only hope for survival along with Legolas's was to make the long hard journey to the palace, and he didn't know where it was. He was aware of how important this decision was and although he didn't know it at the time it would be harder than he ever imagined. Carefully he picked up the elf's body and was slightly alarmed at how light Legolas was. Staggering to his feet and grimacing with pain he carried Legolas forward, abandoning the moment of rest and walking into a haze of pain.

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A/N: I probably made a lot of mistakes because I didn't spend as long editing but I just had to get this chapter out here. We broke 100 reviews last chapter, that was great. Thanks reviewers.


	12. The Journey

_Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens. -Carl Jung _

Eyes in the darkness followed the man's weary trail as he stumbled through the brush. The man's movements seemed drunkenly dizzy but if one looked closer they would see it was fatigue that played such a visible role in the man's coordination. Close to his chest, the man clutched a motionless elf. The elf was unconscious, very pale and wrapped in a dark cloak. Without warning the man's knees buckled and he sank to the ground amid the brambles. This man was Aragorn and he was lost. The elf was Legolas and Aragorn feared for his life. Aragorn never noticed the animal eyes following him, nor did he observe the pounding rain that pelted against the protective umbrella like forest. All the man knew was that time was running out for both him and Legolas. It had been two days ago that he had made the decision to find the palace with the injured elf-two long days with no rest, no water and little food to keep them going. Legolas had remained in an unstable condition. Thankfully, the prince did not have a fever although he still drifted in and out of consciousness and he still was clearly in a stroke. Aragorn did not know if the concerning stomach wound was infected but he could only guess it was going to be. The wound still seemed to be bleeding and Aragorn had run out of bandages and he would not risk reopening the wound by checking it.

After his moment of rest he lifted Legolas up again and staggered forward back onto his path. Aragorn pulled off his glove with his teeth and laid his hand on the elf's chest. The heart was still beating. He fit his worn glove back on and continued straight.

The most distressing problem that his mind would not cease unraveling was the fact that he could be traveling in the complete wrong direction. Since he could not glimpse the sun through the trees and clouds and could not sense the other elements playing a role in the course he took, he was at mercy to his own sense of direction. Carefully he traced the path in his head that he and the other elves had traveled throughout the last days.

It seemed to be right to travel east and hopefully stumble back onto the main path that with any luck led to the palace but what made him even more uneasy was the conversation that Tunéthon had taken part in ere a few days earlier. What he had simply gathered from that awkward conversation was that it was difficult to find the palace, possibly even for an elf. He knew that concealment was one of the limited ways of defense the Mirkwood elves had from the predators that hunted them but how he wished that he at least could detect a sign pointing him in the right direction.

He gritted his teeth to ignore the pain in his back. The wound kept reopening with the strenuous journey he had undertaken. It needed stitches but he simply could not reach it, not even to wash it. All he felt right now was exhaustion and helplessness but little did he know that chaos was breaking loose not far away…

_Darkness was seeping through the elvish realms like a weed choking out flowers. Aragorn saw elves dying, he saw Legolas and Elrond and the twins fading into the horrible veil which he could not see through for he was not of the eldar. He was powerless to stop the blackness because he was trapped in the world of men. He saw the men too and they jeered at him and rejected him for he was not one of them. Suddenly he was watching a throne being devoured in flames-his throne. Then he was an old man, stumbling and falling and he couldn't get up, haunted by the long years of memory and fatigue._

Aragorn jerked awake and panted heavily as he tried to block out the dreams still lingering in his mind. That dream-the horrible nightmare had been haunting him for months was more vivid than he ever had witnessed it. What had awakened him though? He rolled over and found Legolas lying quite awake nearby on the ground. The darned elf must have kicked him in the head but Aragorn certainly did not mind, it was a blessing not to have continued suffering in that nightmare.

"Well look who joined the living," he said good humorously despite their predicament.

Legolas smiled weakly and continued watching him through bleary eyes.

"How do you feel?" Aragorn asked, moving to the elf's side. From the look the elf shot him, he didn't need to hear the answer vocalized.

"Do you feel dizzy?"

Legolas made a tiny nod with his head.

"Are you thirsty? Can you move your body? Is the pain getting worse?"

To all of these questions Legolas made a small painful nod.

"Legolas," Aragorn said gently but somewhat desperately. "I don't know what to do. I have no idea where to find water and I don't even know if we are going in the right direction." He paused and looked sadly at the elf. "I don't mean to fail you but I do not think we can make it back."

"No," Legolas mouthed and his voice scratched awfully as he tried to speak. "No," he repeated and succeeded in making a legible noise. "Leave me here."

"I could not do that." Aragorn said.

"Saesa Aragorn, im car al achas gurth." (please Aragorn, I do not fear death)

"You are brave my friend." Aragorn whispered.

"You have much more left to do than I." Legolas rasped painfully.

If Aragorn could feel any lower than this would have been it. All of his anguish and frustration came out then and there. He chose his words carefully, believing in nothing but the facts that he had been convincing himself of for so long. "I am so weary of being held at something higher than I am. My whole life has been planned for me when the only thing I want is to be free from this curse. The day Elrond told me of this was the worst day of my life and it took many long years to forgive him by pretending that I never knew of this 'destiny'. I do not belong anywhere Legolas; I am not like you or Elladan and Elrohir. Im al edhellen, al edain a al aran!" (I'm not an elf, not a man and not a king)

There was a moment's pause, and both beings could hear the distinct pattering of rain overhead.

"You only have to be you, Estel." Legolas said quietly.

It took a moment for those words to sink in. And then suddenly Aragorn understood what Legolas had been trying to tell him all along.

"Hannon le." Aragorn said.

"For what?"

"For reminding me who I am."

Aragorn leaned back and hissed as pain sliced through his back, a painful reminder of how far they still had yet to go.

"How do I get to the palace?" He asked quickly.

"You have to follow the…"

Aragorn looked at Legolas in horror as the elf began trying to fight unconsciousness.

"Dartho ah nin Legolas." Aragorn pleaded. (stay with me Legolas)

But it was too late and the elf had blacked out before he could tell Aragorn how to find the palace.

Oh how he wished their positions were reversed and he was comfortably unconscious and the Prince of Mirkwood was taking them back to the palace. But this was not the case and with grit determination he lifted the light elf back into his arms and began walking the direction he had been going.

Hours later he was not doing so well. The past few days had not been kind to his body and it worried him greatly to know that he was severely dehydrated which would kill him before he starved. He had eaten worms and bugs that had strayed in front of him on his path for he could not pause to find more food- not with Legolas's condition. The elf had not woken again and was as pale as death. His heartbeat was slightly erratic and knowing that he held the life of his friend in his hands-quite literally-was the only thing that kept Aragorn going. What had Legolas been trying to tell him though? '_Follow the-...'_

_Follow what? _Aragorn had been puzzling over it for a long time but he still had no answers.

'_Only an elf can find Mirkwood,' _what Tunethon had declared days earlier,kept ringing in his head and gave him despair with every step he took. Finally he could take it no longer and he cried out to the world, "I have elvish blood too. It is not my fault that I have to be different from everyone. What am I supposed to be, man or elf?"

The world did not pause for such a question and the rain did not cease roaring on the roof of the forest nor did their situation get any better. Aragorn's bruised knees hit the ground and he grasped a fistful of earth and watched it sprinkle slowly out of his hand.

'_You only have to be yourself,' _came the gently memory of Legolas's words. This calmed Aragorn considerably and he dropped the soil all at once. He was a Dunedain, a ranger.

"Which direction do I take?" He asked the forest, this time in a more composed manner. The only answer was the gust of the wind, playfully tugging at the corners of his cloak. He watched the wind, finding himself intrigued at the way it seemed to be pointing him on to where he was going. "Follow the wind," he echoed quietly, the light of understanding shining on him. That was it. Wind normally wasn't in a forest but this was no ordinary forest. _Leave it to the elves to baffle orcs and men_ _for that matter, _he thought with a tiny smile. Everything made sense now except the fact that he hadn't felt it in the previous days he been in here but he gave up that consideration with the joyous contentment of his understanding. The elves counted on that a complete fool would follow the river or hope to head in the right direction, but only one of their own kind or another deep in touch with nature would listen to the call of the wind. And with that Aragorn kept walking on, carrying his friend and pausing every now and then to let the enchanted breeze guide him to his destination.

Hours later, as the afternoon was maturing into dusk, he still walked on with determination and spirit. The trees had thinned out and he found himself walking in an aisle of grass parted between two rows of trees. The ground had been chewed up and was covered with footprints but Aragorn took little notice and kept walking forward. He took his first glance at the sky in more than a week and never had it looked so welcoming even though the gray, emotionless clouds were spread thickly across the heavens.

He was focused on reaching the end of the aisle of trees which stretched a distant ways away, just brushing the horizon and he desperately wanted to see what would lie at the twist in the path off to the left. In fact he was so engrossed in just moving forward and not stopping that he stepped into a fox hole and stumbled just as an arrow pierced the empty space where his head had been moments before.

Aragorn wildly looked around as he set down Legolas and grasped the hilt of his sword but he did not have to wait long for his attacker to show himself. An elf with dirty blonde hair and pale blue eyes sauntered out on the limbs of a nearby oak tree.

"I don't believe it." He said in the common tongue with obvious surprise etched on his sneering face. The messenger had never given him the message but there was little need for that information now. Suddenly he started laughing; a high pitched cruel laugh that sent shivers up Aragorn's spine.

With dread he realized his ankle was sprained when he took a step backwards away from the maniacal laughter. The elf seemed to realize too that this would be a less than fair fight and he raised his bow and fitted an arrow.

The arrow came flying but Aragorn clumsily dodged it. He was painfully favoring his ankle and had little if no energy to move. He knew he would not last much longer though if the elf stayed up in the tree, untouchable.

"Come down here and fight," he challenged.

"Now why would I do that," the elf paused and grinned, "when I have such an advantage up here. I have all the time in the world although I can tell time is of the essence for you and the prince."

"He is dead," Aragorn lied. "I am here to return his body to his people. Please let me pass."

"I am not one of his people," the elf hissed. "I am a killer of his people."

The elf leaped down lightly from the tree as he talked, while walking slowly and deliberately forward, each step bringing him closer to Aragorn.

"I left him," he motioned towards Legolas on the ground and Aragorn stepped protectively in front of his friend, "in a spider web to die, and I just walked away."

With a pain of understanding, Aragorn realized that this must be Sellion, who Legolas had referred bitterly towards, understandingly so since the elf had tried to kill him.

"I am responsible for the death of Faelwen and the messenger sent to bring help back." He was now only a few feet away from Aragorn and closing in fast. "I sold out my people for money and a chance at the throne, but most terribly I killed my own brother." He stopped inches away from Aragorn and held up his hands. "My own flesh and blood; he's gone." He stared into Aragorn's eyes and Aragorn saw the rage and sin that danced within the shadows of the elf's eyes.

"Nothing should make you think that I won't do the same to you," he whispered.

Aragorn saw the glint of metal long before he heard the whistle of blade and he ducked to the ground meanwhile kicking Sellion's legs out from under him. The elf hissed and was on his feet faster than Aragorn could blink. He watched the elf loom over him and then he found himself on his feet, grasping the elf's knife and stumbling backwards. He tried to wrestle the knife out of his hands but their grip was equally strong. When a sharp pain assaulted his head he realized that the elf had backed him into a tree. Sellion reached behind him with his free hand and clutched an arrow.

_"Pity that I shall never even know your name,"_ he jeered. He tried to plunge it into Aragorn with an arcing motion of his arm but Aragorn sidled out of the way and the knife they held buried itself into the tree. With his free hand he reached up and bent the elf's wrist down and back, an extremely awkward position for the wrist. The arrow fell from the elf's hand and he heard a satisfying crunch and knew that he had succeeded in handicapping the elf and slightly evening the odds. Sellion cried out in pain and ripped his knife out of the tree bark. He thrust it wildly towards Aragorn but Aragorn caught it and shoved himself into Sellion.

It was blind wrestle for the knife-winner take all. He vaguely felt the hilt turn in his hands before they both lost balance and he pushed with all his might to drive the knife into Sellion. Sellion screamed as they toppled to the ground with him on the bottom and Aragorn on the top and the knife painfully sliding into the elf's gut. Aragorn didn't need to see the wound and the intruding knife to know that it was fatal. The elf was beginning to stare blankly but was still trying to focus on him.

Leaning forward until they were about a few breaths apart he said, _"My name is_ _Strider_." Then he made his way to his feet and continued on his trek, even more tired and hurting. Walking was difficult and Aragorn found he could hardly remember a time when it had been easy.

The air was fresh and as inviting as warm clean clothes and it breezed slightly around Aragorn, fanning the leaves and rustling the broken grass. The aisle of trees seemed to take a lifetime to outdistance but like the lifetimes of men, it passed quickly and he was soon walking around the edge of the wood and was headed towards the direction of the palace as if he had been there many times before. Finally he caught sight of the gate up head and rushed towards it as best he could, still carrying his friend. The large, powerful stone door was agar and there were a few orcs surrounding the door, dead where they had fallen. Aragorn slipped inside of it wearily afraid of what he had yet to find...

AN

I would like to thank my reviewers from the last chapter, I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	13. The Palace

sorry for the miserably long time it took to update.

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-To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved. George Macdonald

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Aragorn surveyed the damage as he staggered through the gates. The dead were everywhere: dead orcs and dead elves. The wounded elves that had been spared from death were lying still on the ground or either crawling painfully in the direction of a magnificent cavern that wound itself up the side of a mountain. Those that were not wounded were trying to help those that were. Some were silently crying, there eyes screaming with pain. He was met by blank stares everywhere as his presence was mutely registered. Many looked to be in too great of shock to wonder why a human stranger was carrying their prince into their land. Aragorn ripped his eyes away from the death and blood that seeped from the ground as he tried to navigate himself towards wherever he needed to be. Everything seemed muddled though. Darkness was closing in on him. The gray sky seemed to shrink and grow at the same time and he felt his aching knees buckle once more. His last thought was that the elves that had died in the forest had died in vain. The orcs had reached the palace. They all had failed…

Strong arms were carrying him. The floors were pale gray. The bed sheets were white. Someone was crying. There was a prick in his arm. Voices spoke urgently in Sindarin. It was dark outside, or was it light? A different person was crying. Someone was shaking his arm. The voices wouldn't stop. His dreams were becoming hazier and hazier. Blinding light assaulted his dreams and finally his eyes crept opened to mere slits.

He was lying in a bed, smothered with quilts and blankets. Dazzling sunlight was drifting through the window revealing a magnificent day and a startling view of the forest. The woods looked beautiful and benevolent but he knew better. He stretched and felt some of the soreness and stiffness return to his limbs from the long journey he had taken part in. Aragorn cautiously lifted the warm quilts from his body, swung out of the bed and shifted his weight onto his feet. He shuffled over to the window and stared at the green woods. _It must be winter now, _he decided, calculating the days that had passed by since late autumn although the weather wouldn't have confirmed it today. The sunlight danced with the trees to the tune of lively gusts of wind. What a rare day of winter it was.

The door was suddenly flung open and a frenzied young elf flew in. She cringed when she saw Aragorn but he gave the young she elf a smile and she apologized for her rudeness.

"I am Tarétha," she smiled but then seemed to realize what she had come for. Tarétha flashed an apologetic smile, snatched five towels and blankets from a cabinet, brushed past Aragorn and disappeared out the door. Aragorn noticed the troubled frown she wore as she left. Since he had absolutely nothing more pressing than his own curiosity at that moment, he followed in her wake, attempting to tread quietly but quickly like the maiden in front of him was accomplishing. Needless to say it wasn't working very well for him. In his haste his foot skidded loudly on the stone floor and the elf shot an anxious glance back at him as she hurried forward. He knew that Elladan and Elrohir would have been ashamed if they could see him now.

As he was just beginning to wonder where they were going, Tarétha ducked into a room on the left. He followed her just in time to catch sight of a bloody sticky mess with Legolas right in the middle of it. There might as well have been a massacre in this room. Blood was everywhere. Tarétha gingerly stepped forward and handed off the towels to an elf who seemed to be in charge of the operation, if that was what you wanted to call it.

Legolas was lying on a bed with a cluster of healers surrounding him and to the side, in the background a tired elf sat and held onto the prince's hand. Aragorn padded over and took a seat next to the elf. He turned his head and acknowledged Aragorn for the first time. Since nobody seemed to mind him being here, Aragorn remained. The elf beside of him spoke up. "You were the one who brought my son back."

Aragorn nodded, his eyes never leaving the cluster of healers surrounding his friend. "He fought very bravely, you should be proud of him."

Thranduil nodded silently and his blue eyes filled with silent tears. "How did it happen? How did he receive that injury?" He whispered.

Aragorn searched back to that terrible day. The battle seemed ages ago. For a moment he went back to that clearing in the forest. The hardships, the bravery and the loyalty that Legolas had shown him, all of the lives that were lost. He squeezed his eyes shut to block out the memory but opened them a few moments later to look up into the anxious eyes of the king.

"He was wounded when he saved my life."

That was all he could say. He could not bear the guilt because inside he suspected it was his fault. When it had happened, Legolas had been fighting for Aragorn's life. In his own foolishness and clumsiness he had tripped Legolas and that had resulted in where they were now. He noticed that the king was studying him with a keen eye.

"I know you," he said at last and a ghost of a smile haunted his face. "You are Elrond's son, Estel."

Aragorn let out a shaky laugh. "Yes but alas I carry many a more than one name now. You may call me whatever you wish."

Thranduil looked questioningly at him for a few seconds. "You know by now I assume. Thank you for bringing my son home, Aragorn."

Aragorn nodded and returned his gaze to Legolas's still body. However Thranduil kept speaking.

"We mustn't lose hope. I did and it was a mistake. When the orcs broke into the palace, I was not there to defend my people. I was in my bed, too torn up with grief to move. I suppose after my wife died, death affected me differently." He paused and ran his fingers down the ridges of his chair. "We cannot do that though. Sometimes we just have to let go. Sure," he said lowering his voice and looking at his son, "they will always be with us but we don't have to follow them just yet to feel them."

Aragorn remembered his mother and how much her death her death had hurt him. Whenever times were joyful and yet whenever times were sad, her lovely and kind face smiled at him from wherever he was. His eyes wandered over to Legolas's figure, lying still and broken on the bed.

"But my lord Legolas is not dead?"

"No," Thranduil said, smiling wanly.

At that moment the healer who seemed to be in charge turned towards them and wearily approached, slightly dipping his head with respect for his king. Thranduil was immediately to his feet, "How is he?"

"My lord, we have successfully removed the last part of blade from Legolas. He is still in deep sleep though so he shall not awaken until tomorrow."

The joy on Thranduil's face was satisfying to behold. "Thank you," he whispered. Thranduil lay his hand upon his son's brow. "Sleep now, ion nîn. You need it."

For the first time the healer seemed to realize Aragorn was in the room and he meaningfully nodded to the door. "What may I ask are you doing out of bed?"

Aragorn smiled ruefully and obeyed the healer's command. Stealing one last glance over his shoulder at the blood stained prince, he couldn't help but notice the way the sunlight hit his friend's face, making him shine golden amid the scarlet blood. He realized that it was the way he had seen Legolas the night when he had saved him from the spiders; a golden ray of pure light among the darkness. But then he shut the door and the vision vanished.

A few hours later after a perpetual battle of hide and seek with the healers, Aragorn finally consented to the healer's wishes after Thranduil firmly expressed that the healers were tired enough as it was, and they didn't need a patient trying to evade bed because it was inevitable and there would be plenty of time to explore the palace later.

Aragorn had seen enough of the palace to know that it was a long lost play place of his childhood. Oh how the twins must love it here. He could also picture Arwen amongst the flowers in the hidden gardens he had discovered and he could imagine Elrond pouring over the countless books in the comfy study.

Although he was bored being immured in the pasty room, he didn't mind that much because he was rather used to it. He couldn't even begin to count the number of times Elrond had confined him to bed because of some injury. He mostly slept through it all but the trick was coaxing sleep to come. After a few hours of endless boredom, a young elf cautiously opened the door and told him he had permission to have a few hours of his own. Aragorn needed no further encouragement and he was soon on his way to see Legolas.

The prince had been moved and he spent the next minutes navigating though the endless maze of twisting tunnels and passages. At last he stumbled upon Legolas's bed chamber. Quietly he made his way to the side of the bed and knelt down to where his friend lay. He spent a few slow minutes taking in everything about the prince and preserving it in his memory. The golden hair with intricate warrior braids, the fairness of the elf's skin, the way his hands were slightly callused, suggesting long years of strenuous work.

Slowly, almost dreamlike he closed his hand around Legolas's wrist and felt the steady drum of life beating within his body. Bowing his head to one of the few persons in the world that deserved his respect, trust and loyalty the most, he softly began whispering to the unconscious elf. "I owe you everything Legolas. I did not find you and rescue you, but you were the only one that discovered me and saved me from the web of pain I had wrapped around myself. Hannon le, mellon nîn."

He slowly and stiffly made his way to his feet and turned to notice King Thranduil standing silently in the door frame. There were tears in the King's eyes. He made no move to brush them away but only stared unblinkingly at Aragorn and his son. Then something unexpected happened. Legolas let out a groan and began stirring from his bed. In an instant Thranduil was by his side with Aragorn at his heels. The prince was struggling to regain consciousness and he seemed to be winning the battle. Aragorn grimaced at the pain that Legolas was beginning to feel and suspected that there was a reason that the healers wanted Legolas to wake up the next day. The elf's breathing was becoming ragged and labored and he stifled a groan as his blue eyes fluttered open.

"Ada?" he asked but immediately clutched at his stomach.

"Yes Legolas, I am here. Just relax."

For a few moments Legolas did nothing but try to control his uneven breathing but then he seemed to remember something.

"Where is Estel?" Legolas's unfocused eyes darted around the room but the pain was too great for him and he squeezed them tight and clenched his teeth.

Thranduil glanced expectedly at Aragorn. "I am here Legolas."

Legolas opened his eyes and they fastened on his friend. "You found the palace," he whispered.

Aragorn smiled gratefully. "I couldn't have without you mellon nn."

"What happened to me?"

"A lot of ill things," Aragorn said and glanced questioningly at Thranduil. He registered the tiny shake of the king's head and he continued on, "but what is important right now is that you heal."

Legolas didn't try to move. He knew that the effort wouldn't be worth the pain. He struggled to remain focused on Thranduil and Aragorn but he was not succeeding. "How bad is it?" he managed to whisper.

Thranduil smiled encouragingly at his son. "You will be fine ion nîn. Why is it that every time you go out, you come back in pieces?"

For a moment, Legolas suspiciously regarded his father but he seemed convinced that the king was not lying about the status of his well being and he smiled wanly at Thranduil's tease. Suddenly a healer's head popped in the doorway. His eyes bugged out and he soon had whisked to his patient. "It would be best if you leave," the healer prodded, beginning a serious and thorough examination of his patient. Thranduil and Aragorn caught the hint and they rose to leave. As they walked out of the room, Aragorn heard Legolas raise his voice. "I am honestly fine."

Thranduil chucked and shook his head. "He has always been like that. There is just no reasoning with him sometimes." He seemed to be reliving a particular example of his son's stubbornness but he turned towards Aragorn and ordered him back to bed with the authority of a king.

Even as Aragorn proceeded back to his room with the intention of actually staying in his bed, he couldn't help feeling the best he had felt since his first footsteps out of out of Rivendell.


	14. Friends

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"_The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die." -Edward Kennedy_

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Days passed slowly but surely and each day Legolas and Aragorn grew stronger. Legolas made a startlingly fast recovery even for an elf and it was not long before his eyes had grown bright and he was laughing from a sitting position in his bed. He would have risen from his bed as soon as he was able too but the healer's strict confinement policy killed that idea. Aragorn spent almost all of his time with Legolas. He had made a full recovery in only a few days and the only reminder of their adventure were the occasional scars flecked over his skin. Both of them began to see less of Thranduil and Legolas confirmed that things were starting to go back to normal. 

They heard little news about what had happened when they had made their arrival to the palace. Aragorn suspected that it was so Legolas would continue to make a quick recovery without any emotional setbacks. Although against the apparent effort, not all of the truth could be hidden from the Prince of Mirkwood. A week after they had been hospitalized, word had been received that Faelwen's body and Morcion's body had been recovered from the forest. As Legolas was told the disheartening news, Aragorn noticed the raw grief and horror in his eyes. He didn't have to hear about it to know that Legolas and Faelwen had been close. After that news was delivered Aragorn decided to leave his friend alone for a few hours. He pushed back his chair and turned to the door.

"Don't leave."

Aragorn turned back, startled and released the cold door handle from his grasp. "I do not want to be an extra burden to you-"

"Estel," Legolas smiled, "you would never be a burden."

Aragorn made his way back across the room and sat in his chair by the bedside and looked expectantly at his friend. Legolas seemed to make his mind up about something and when he made eye contact with Aragorn, he saw anger and pain welled up in the elf's eyes. "Tell me exactly what happened when you met Sellion."

Aragorn could see where this was headed and he knew the truth himself. Since he had been hastily vague about this subject the previous time it had been mentioned he decided Legolas deserved nothing but the truth. As Legolas listened, absolutely still and attentive, he recounted the episode with Sellion. After he finished the account Legolas spoke for the first time. "He killed many people because his soul was as black as his father's past. I do not understand the mind of a murderer, but I do understand the constant struggle of battling the darkness outside and inside of your self. Sometimes I fear that I am losing that battle."

Aragorn said nothing. What could he say? His friend spoke nothing but the truth and he himself feared the darkness that clawed at the edges of his mind. He remained silent along with Legolas as both tried to wrap their minds around the thought. Finally Legolas spoke up as his eyes set a task of burning holes in the corner of the bed. "She was the only mother I ever knew."

Aragorn could not think of anything to say but, "oh."

Legolas said nothing more as Aragorn was forced to relive bittersweet memories. "My mother died recently," he said simply.

"I am sorry."

"Don't be, it is no one's fault, it is no one's burden. Death happens but we don't have to follow them to feel them," Aragorn said, echoing Thranduil.

Legolas did not speak the rest of the evening but Aragorn caught the grateful flash in his eyes and he knew that he had done just the right thing for his friend.

More days passed and Legolas soon was walking about and pausing only occasionally to clutch at the ache in his stomach. Everyday Legolas showed Aragorn something new about the palace as they walked the many corridors and halls and soon Aragorn knew the palace as well as he knew Imladris.

He had to admit that the feasts at Mirkwood would have outdone any of Imladris's feasts. Legolas said that they had feasts all of the time, some apparently for no reason at all. He said that it was quite dull after awhile but Aragorn rather enjoyed the feasts. That night they were having a feast for the safe homecoming of the prince even though they had already celebrated that. Nobody seemed to care though, especially after the wine was poured. Every occasion seemed fit for a feast. Even if it was as simple as surviving another day, the Mirkwood elves would celebrate it.

This latest feast did not disappoint Aragorn to say the least. After they ate, both of them were invited to adjourn to the king's study. The king seated himself behind his oak desk and waited for his guests to take their seats across from him.

"I need to know everything that happened," he said at last.

Aragorn and Legolas glanced at each other and Legolas took up the first part of their tale. Thranduil sat and listened assiduously as his son finally concluded what had happened. Thranduil turned towards where Aragorn sat silently. "How did you find the palace?" he asked somewhat sternly.

It was Aragorn's turn to explain the wind's role in his navigation just as Legolas had hinted to before he had passed out in the forest. As he concluded his short narrative he noticed how puzzled both father and son looked.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Aragorn," Legolas said looking bewildered and concerned at the same time, "I have _never _felt wind in the forest."

Thranduil mutely agreed at the same, his eyes pasted onto Aragorn with curious fascination.

"You must realize how rare it is for anybody even find the palace," Legolas continued, "I believe you and I am sure that it was something else far more significant than any of us can comprehend that took place on that day."

"What did you try to tell me?"

Legolas furrowed his eyebrows and frowned. "I cannot remember anything I said to you," he said slowly, carefully choosing his words. "But whatever I was speaking of, it was not of the wind."

Aragorn wracked his brains for a solution, for an answer, but he could come up with nothing. It wasn't until Thranduil spoke up from where he had been thoughtfully tracing the designs in his desk that Aragorn understood.

"It seems that the Valar have much planned for you, Aragorn." He stared at Aragorn and Legolas who were hanging onto every word. "Your paths crossed for a reason; a reason that I do not know but can only guess about. Special things like the wind that took your hand and guided you here, those special things only happen once in a lonely man's life time, twice in a lonely elf's years and many times with a bond of friendship and love." He studied Aragorn with keen eyes and it seemed as if the elven king were looking right through him. "Elrond was right when he said that there was something special about you," he said simply. "Now," he said briskly, changing the subject, "those who were responsible have perished so no further justice can be carried out."

Beside him, Legolas made a feral noise in his throat.

Thranduil registered the sound with his eyes but he continued speaking. "Nobody will ever forget what they did but leave the work to me."

Legolas reluctantly agreed and remained silent for the rest of the discussion. Aragorn could see how the betrayal had hurt him and it had also ruined his trust with his people in general. He could tell it had been gnawing at the prince the whole journey but there was little he could do to right this wrong. Legolas would have to find a way to cope with it himself. It would be the only way to truly heal.

Time slowly stretched by and nothing negative was ever mentioned within earshot regarding Aragorn's presence in Mirkwood. The Mirkwood elves were friendly and polite and he was treated like he had lived there his whole life. He could see the look of gratitude in some of their eyes and he knew that he had deserved a place of respect in their hearts for bringing their prince back. He had received letters from Elrond and the twins, who now knew his current location. The lengthy letters expressed their desires that he return to Imladris. But couldn't go back home. There would be nothing to return to. He knew that if Arwen had found him no place in her heart then he could not return to Elrond's disapproval. Love was simply something he couldn't control and it was probably best for everyone's sake if he steered around it.

Winter had come bringing the most frigid and icy days he had ever felt along with a blanket of soft powdery snow. One cold day he questioned Legolas as they kept company with their horses when he should leave. Legolas just looked at him in surprise registered on his fair features and then laughed. "Strider you may not leave until I tell you to. At least don't go until spring comes." His smile faded slightly, "where would you go."

"I am not sure," he admitted. "Probably everywhere I am able to go."

"Even Gondor?"

Aragorn said nothing but he knew in his heart that the answer was 'no.' Legolas seemed to realize this too for he said nothing more about the subject. "You are most welcomed here." He continued, stroking Avari's long sleek neck. "We have many things to do. I want to give you some archery practice to begin with."

Aragorn enthusiastically agreed and the cold winter that was hard on their heels did not seem so cold and long. The friends spent days exploring the forest and Legolas taught Aragorn everything he knew about tracking and hunting. He also taught Aragorn how to find the palace from any given direction so he could come back whenever he pleased. His skills grew in archery with the help of Legolas and soon he felt he could outshoot even Elladan and Elrohir although it wouldn't be saying much since they always preferred blades in battle. At the same time he saw Legolas's pain fade as Thranduil became more distant with both of them. Legolas confirmed that he had always been that way and as long as he didn't get too wrapped up in his material possessions then he would be fine. Although Aragorn agreed he would always see the look of concern that flashed in the king's eyes whenever he and Legolas would go out in the woods.

Warmth soon began entering the air and the first buds started to appear on trees. Aragorn could not help the feeling of restlessness creep into his bones and soon he began to want to start out on his journey once more. He and Legolas had grown to become great friends and he would always keep the elf's friendship wherever he went. But if Legolas noticed his increasing restiveness he said nothing.

That night Aragorn fell into a fitful sleep and dreamt of nothing but battle and blood all nightlong.

The next morning Aragorn recounted his dreams with Legolas. "You would like to leave today?" Legolas questioned. "Yes," Aragorn said, relieved that he understood. "I think I must leave soon."

"Alright, I will ride with you to the border. I would like to journey beyond with you but I must stay here to protect my people."

"Of course," Aragorn agreed but all the same felt a pang of disappointment rising in his chest. With a weary heart he packed up his few possessions and thanked King Thranduil profusely for his hospitality.

As he trekked to the stables to find Avari he looked around him and took in everything about Mirkwood, just as he had when he had left Imladris. It was an act of preservation so he would remember every wonderful thing about this place just in case he was notable to return. Legolas was waiting for him when arrived at the stable. Avari was already tacked up and ready to leave. He took the reins from Legolas and swung up onto the familiar seat of the saddle.

Legolas was on his horse in an instant and suddenly they were trotting down the path and leaving Mirkwood far behind. Aragorn twisted around in his saddle and captured once last glance of the palace before it was swallowed up by the surrounding trees on the path. Legolas reined his horse beside of him, "which direction would you like to go?"

"I suppose west because I would like to eventually reach Rohan."

"We will go this way then." Legolas directed his gray mare into the woods and began picking his way on an invisible trail towards Rohan. Aragorn followed and they rode steadily for a day until they stumbled upon an indistinct path that could have passed as a deer trail.

"Hardly any know of this path," Legolas mentioned casually as they followed its twisting roads and hair pin turns. Aragorn could see why. It was buried within a gigantic forest crawling with spiders. They had done everything they could to avoid the nests of spiders but even then they had killed one after it leaped out of a tree directly above them and missed flattening them by only their sheer luck and the spider's own bad timing when it jumped.

"We are nearly there," Legolas announced sometime later and Aragorn wished with all of his might that time would slow down and wait for the world to catch up. He didn't want to leave now. The steady and constant beat of Avari's walk had lulled him into a dreamlike state of being. Time had gone by much faster than he had ever thought. It seemed like only yesterday that he had left Rivendell. He wondered what it was like for elves; to know that you never had to die but to fear never seeing those ever again that did die. Eternity was a long, long time. When he had been a small boy he had hoped with all of his heart that one day he would wake up with pointed ears and immortal blood running through his veins so he could be like his brothers and Elrond and every other inhabitant of Imladris. He didn't wish it anymore. It had been a long time since he had come to grips with the old longing. For the time being he was fine with being a human since he nor anyone else in the world had a say about who they were born to.

A frantic shout drew him out of his musings and he was jerked back into realitywith as muchjolting surprise as the sensation of being doused with ice water. In front of him Legolas had drawn out his bow and arrow and was firing his arrows in rapid succession. It took Aragorn a few moments to distinguish what the elf was shooting out. A small band of orcs were sprinting through the trees in his direction. He pulled out his sword and rode towards the orcs, deftly chopping the head clean off of the first one with a powerful and decisive swing with his sword. More orcs were running wildly towards them, screaming with rage.

Aragorn drew up beside Legolas and together they did their best to mow down the advancing orcs with their combined archery. A twig snapped behind them and Aragorn turned and immediately lurched to the side in his saddle to avoid a fatal blow from an orc clever enough to sneak up behind them. In an instant the orc had taken another wild swing at Legolas with its scimitar and in an act of quick judgement and impulse Aragorn threw himself at Legolas and knocked him out of the saddle, leaving the scimitar to whistle through empty air.

They both hit the ground hard as their horses whinnied in fright and danced nervously, prepairing to bolt. Aragorn heaved himself up and finished off the orc that had caused them the most trouble. In an instant the orcs had closed the space between them and the friends found themselves floundering in a river of orcs. Aragorn pushed himself to his physical limit as he slashed, parried and ducked against the onslaught of violence and somewhere to his left Legolas did the same. Holding his sword high in the air he swung it with all of his strength and brought it down on an orc that would have succeeded in killing his friend if he had not noticed. He would always defend Legolas in and out of battle. And as he was fighting he knew that Legolas was do the exact the same for him.

Battle was simply like that. No one wasquite sureof how many lives he saved because other people were defending his life as well. There was hardly such thing as debt in battle. That was just the ways things were.

The battle pushed on and together Legolas and Aragorn succeeded in dismembering about every orc in the lot. After a few tediously long minutes, the last orc screamed and hit the ground dead. Aragorn was panting as he wiped the sweat off of his face with a sleeve. Legolas was bleeding from a long cut on his arm but he paid no heed to it. When no other orcs presented themselves from the trees and bushes, Aragorn let his shoulders relax and his arms hang down.

"Where are the horses?" Legolas demanded.

It took only a little while for them to find the horses and when they did find them nervously pacing together in the brambles, Legolas wasted no time in springing onto his mount.

"You must go now." He said.

"I can't just leave!" Aragorn said aghast. "There might be more of them. You need help."

"I will be fine Strider. I am going to ride back to the palace immediately so we can get a patrol out here. I don't think that there are any more though." He glanced around and then back at Aragorn and his face darkened with concern. "Listen to me Aragorn. War among men is brewing in the west. You need to be there.

Before Aragorn could protest he added, "It will be alright."

Avari pranced anxiously beneath Aragorn but he steadied him with gentle hands.

"You must find Mithrandir," Legolas hurriedly continued. "He also is known as Gandalf. He will help you.You will not like what you find there and your path will not be an easy one but you will make it. Now follow the path until you reach a stream and then travel to the right of the water and you will be out of the forest in less than a day. Make haste because I sense that many things depend on you. Go now."

Aragorn was speechless for a few moments but words eventually found their way to his lips. "Legolas, gwador nin, thank you for everything. You have given me so much that you don't even know of. I can never repay you for these things."

Legolas smiled. "You are always welcomed in Mirkwood, Strider. Thank you for all you have given me."

Aragorn looked back one last time and sadly smiled before turning Avari towards the trail and urging him into a quick canter. He felt terrible for leaving his friend but he realized that Mirkwood would always be under the threat of darkness and that there was little he or anyone could do to prevent it. Their paths would cross again, someday.

Legolas watched the man and his horse melt into the shadows and vanish without a trace. When even the sound of hoof beats died away he turned and made his way through the darkness that was settling upon the land and into the promise of twilight lingering in the night air.

-The End-

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A/N: Wow. I cannot believe that it is over. As I write this I am beginning to feel a little empty inside. I appreciate each and every one of my reviewers and your wonderful reviews. Thank you for being patient with me when I took forever and a day to update. I am currently writing another story but I will write the entire thing before I post it so I can update weekly or so.

Special thanks to all reviewers: **ElvenHope, Emily, Ainu Laire, silverkitcat, Yanzen Uroloki, LEGOLAS ' lady 101, Maglor the Harper, Bill the Pony 2, Someone Reading, Redleef, invisigoth3, Masterarcher, Slayer3, silverkonekotsukari, QueenofFlarmphgal, Inwe Nolatari, zareen, Deana, Faerlas, Galimeril, cici, warrior of the shadow, 404, Tortall Princess, Tommylover, Lyn, Moonlit Butterfly, Swasti, Hogwarts-Evenstar, niyanna, DawnStrider and memyselfandi.**

I really appreciate the positive feedback you guys gave me. I am really sorry if I leftanyone out. PLEASE REVIEW!


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